Outfoxed
by ZangooseMiner
Summary: (Spoilers For Zootopia) A year after the Nighthowler incident, Officer Nicholas Wilde finds himself temporary guardian to a Ranger Scout. However, not long afterwards does a threat begin to rise and hunt him from the shadows. With previous nightmares enveloping his mind as the search grows and the mystery thickens, will the fox succeed? Or will he be bested? Defeated? Outfoxed?
1. 1 - Upstart

" _ **A Zootopia Story: Outfoxed**_ "

 **By ZangooseMiner and STT**

 **Chapter 1: "** **Upstart** "

* * *

Zerrith took a deep breath. As much as he tried to prepare for this moment, he still felt incredibly anxious. He adjusted the tie on his uniform a bit and slowly moved his fist forward to knock on the door. Then he retracted it nervously. Then he moved it forward again, then started the process over again. The wolf growled anxiously to himself; he wanted to do this. He _had_ to do this.

He swallowed and knocked.

He stood in silence. No going back now; he had knocked, and there were footsteps on the other side of the door, getting closer. This was it.

The doorknob jiggled and clicked before slowly turning, and the rectangular piece of wood slightly creaked ajar, an eye poking out and staring him down.

"What do you want?" the man asked.

Zerrith barely repressed his violent shaking and somehow managed to speak. "H-Hello, sir! I'm Zerrith Powers of the Ranger Scouts, Troop #404. I'm here to get my..." He froze as he tried to recall the badge's name. "Apprenticeship badge! A-And I'd maybe like to apprentice a police officer...if...that's okay with you..."

His voice shrunk as the door slowly opened the rest of the way.

Standing in the doorway and staring down at him through a pair of aviator glasses was a taller fox. He lowered the glasses down his snout a bit to give an unimpressed-looking stare at the boy, making him feel all the more uneasy. The glasses were the most appealing things he wore; a baggy shirt and a pair of jeans hung loosely off his body.

"...s-sir?" The wolf broke the silence after a moment.

The fox sniffed and removed the sunglasses, folding them and hanging the accessory on his shirt. He glanced up and down the boy.

"Apprentice?" he repeated. The boy nodded. "Me?"

Zerrith nodded once more. "Y-Yes! You... _are_ Officer Wilde, right?" he asked, tilting his head.

The fox pursed his lips. "Yeah, that's me. You're a Ranger Scout?"

"Yes sir, Troop number fo-"

"4-0-4, yeah," Nick interrupted. He sighed. "Okay, look, I don't think I'm your guy. I mean, there are _plenty_ of other good cops around here. Just, y'know...find one."

He started to back into the apartment again.

"I-I _did_ find a good cop." the boy stepped forward and placed a hand on the door, pushing it open some. "I was sent here by an Officer Hopps!"

The fox stopped, knitting his brow. "She what?"

"She sent me!" The wolf repeated. "I went to her, and she gave me your address!"

Nick stepped back out. "Wh-What? Why would she send you to _me?_ " He was awful with kids. And just people in general. And a _Ranger Scout_ , no less. Didn't she remember his opinion on that?

"Cause, uh...she thought you and I would be...like...t-two peas in a pod…?" The wolf blushed. "Q-Quoting her…k-kinda…a-and she also said you _needed_ the company!"

"...Needed the company…?" he frowned. He slapped a palm to his face. "How long," he mumbled.

"At least…" The boy swallowed. "...a m-month."

Nick dragged his hand down his face and glared at the wolf. "You're joking."

Zerrith lowered his ears and shook his head slightly. "N-No sir."

Suddenly he was glad he didn't have to do all this badge nonsense. "...What if I say no?"

The wolf tensed, a ping of surprise hitting him. He suddenly felt...hurt. "...n-no?"

Nick growled. "Where are your parents?"

"...d-dead." The boy answered bluntly, rubbing one arm with his hand. "They...they died a long time ago…"

Now Nick felt bad. He also suddenly realized why Judy _actually_ sent him. "You...you're an orphan?"

Zerrith nodded. "Yeah...I'm an orphan. No shit."

The fox was a little taken aback by the cursing. "H-How old did you say you were again…?"

"Uh, I'm ten...why?"

Nick sighed and placed a hand on his neck. "I-I dunno, I just...I..."

"...n-no, it's fine, I understand." The boy's lips twitched into a reluctant smile. "H-Have a nice day."

And he started his walk down the hall.

Nick just watched for a moment, wrestling with his conscience, seeing the disheartened wolf slowly stumble away. Then he grumbled loudly. "Fiiine!"

The wolf whirled around. "W-What?"

Nick pointed a finger at him. "J-Just...stay there for a sec."

The fox disappeared inside, closing the door and leaving Zerrith watching confusedly. Where was he going? A moment later, the door swung open, and out came Nick, dressed in his police uniform.

"Come on...Zero, was it?" he said, walking past.

Zerrith blinked before groaning and following him. "I-It's Zerrith!"

Nick ignored him and jogged down the stairs, walking out to the parking lot. There, a shiny police car sat. Zerrith grinned at the sight.

Nick noticed. "You like it? I call it the Fuzzmobile."

"It reminds me of a worn down Batmobile…" The boy inspected it before giggling. "I'd call it the Scatmobile!"

"Ha, ha," Nick said dryly, unlocking the doors. "Get in."

Zerrith smiled and hopped into the passenger's seat, taking out a notepad from his shirt pocket as he did so. As Nick hopped in, the boy remained quiet as he scribbled words in it.

"Alright...good."

Nick glanced down as he started the engine. "What's that?"

The wolf quickly turned the notebook away. "N-Nothing!"

Nick smirked. "Calm down, Zennith, I was just asking a simple question…" The fox rolled his eyes.

" _Zerrith_." The wolf grumbled.

Nick pulled the car out of the parking lot and stopped at the street. He smiled and clicked a switch on the dashboard, then picked up the police radio's microphone.

"This is Officer Wilde, going patrol with ridealong Zzz..." he glanced at the wolf.

The wolf crossed his arms and shook his head. "You're on your own this time, officer."

Nick smiled and shrugged. "Suit yourself." He returned to the mic. "Ridealong Zena, Princess Warrior. Say hi, Zena!"

Zerrith shot him a glare, a blush flushing over his cheeks, before he snatched the radio from his hand. "This is _male_ ridealong Zerrith Powers, Ranger Scout from Troop #404, partnered up with an _asshole cop_."

Nick shot him a glare. "What the-"

A deep voice came over the radio. "Oh, daaamn! He got you, son!"

Nick's grip on the steering wheel tightened greatly as his ears quickly flattened. Zerrith chuckled.

Another voice came, this one painfully familiar. "Officer Hopps here, Wilde is a confirmed asshole. Avoid at all costs."

Some laughter came from the speakers.

Nick blushed. "Et tu, Carrots?" he shouted to the mic.

Zerrith giggled. "Hi, Officer Hopps!"

"Hey, Zer!" she replied. "How's Nick treating ya?"

"Pretty not great." The wolf sighed. "He's kind of a dick."

More laughter. Nick scowled and grabbed the mic from him. "Okay, Fuzzmobile is going now!"

"'Fuzzmobile?' I thought it was the 'Bustmobile' before," a woman said.

"Or 'Wilde Times?' What happened to that?" another chuckled.

Zerrith leaned towards the radio. "I called it the Scatmobile personally."

Nick growled at him. "Wilde out!"

"Make him buy you doughnuts!" someone called.

"Shut it, Wolfmire!" Nick yelled, slamming the mic down and clicking the radio off. He sighed angrily.

Zerrith laughed. "Sheesh, best thing that's happened all day! Honestly, I-"

He stopped as he saw the fox clenching the wheel tightly, eyes squeezed shut, breathing slowly. " _Get. Out._ " he said through his teeth.

The wolf blinked. "...w-wait, what? C-Cmon, I was just jok-"

" _I said out!"_ he barked. "I'm not gonna' put up with a bratty little kid who insults and embarrases me for fun, so you can go find someone else to leech for a badge!"

Zerrith sat still for a moment before sniffling. "F-Fine then…"

He opened the door and slid out, shutting it and walking down the sidewalk. He couldn't hold back, tears were already rolling down his cheeks. He didn't like being yelled at, and yet here he was, bringing people's anger out and it was his fault.

Nick watched the boy walk away for the second time today.

" _Go get him,"_ the voice in his head told him.

No. That brat could deal.

" _But he's an_ orphan. _Are you gonna turn away an orphan?"_

First time for everything.

"Man, you fucked up baaad." That voice didn't come from his head, but the back seat of his car. The fox jumped.

Sitting in the backseat, having been silent and unnoticed the whole time, was the small fennec fox Nick had known for many years; Finnick. He hopped up from where he sat and climbed over into the passenger's seat.

Nick groaned and slumped in his chair. "Aw, cheese and crackers, Fin! What did I tell you about sleeping in my car?"

"Only do it when the van is out of commission." Finnick replied. "And right now, it's in the shop for a repainting. So until then, this place is mine."

The fox glared. "It's not _yours._ It's not even _mine._ It's police property. You're lucky I don't arrest you."

The smaller fox shrugged and watched the boy. "You love me too much for that, though."

Nick pursed his lips. "What do you want, anyways? I'm busy."

"Busy? If busy in your head means losing your shit with orphan kids, then you're pretty fucking booked." He chuckled in his offputtingly deep voice.

The officer sighed and fiddled with his badge. "He had it coming, Fin," he said, though he doubted it as he said it.

"Had it coming? Fuck that, Nick. You were being a dick to him, _you_ had it coming." Fin shook his head.

Nick glanced up to see Zerrith turn a corner into an alleyway. He kinda was responsible. When he thought about it, he guessed he overreacted. A little. "I dunno, man. I don't think I can handle a kid for a _month._ "

"Nick, I remember you telling me that story of yours, about your fucked up Ranger Scouts experience." Fin sighed. "Are you gonna let a shitty experience pass again? You went through one, now you have the chance to fucking stop one. But no, you're _creating_ one."

The words hit him like a brick. Suddenly he flashed back to the Scouts building, the shadows over him as the... _thing_ was put on him. How powerless he was. He thought of how Zerrith felt, sitting back there by himself, crying because a _cop_ yelled at him.

The fox snarled in exasperation. "Gosh, I hate you."

"Love you too, Nicky-boy." Finnick chuckled. "Now can I get back to some peaceful sleep without you both throwing profanities everywhere?"

"Uh, no," Nick rolled his eyes. "Why don't you go find something else to do?"

"It's either I sleep in here, or I go out there and yell at that kid some more for ya. So what the fuck's it gonna be?"

He glared. "There's a cot in my place, just get out of my car."

Fin sighed and rolled his eyes. "Bet you feel good about yourself; screaming at a kid, ruining his day, maybe he just wanted to fucking hang out and have fun with ya. Try to be less of an asshole." With that, the fennec fox hopped out of the car, walking back to the building. "Ciao," he called over his shoulder.

Nick huffed and got out, slowly walking to the alleyway.

Zerrith was sitting at the edge against the wall of a building. Sniffling constantly and with a shaky hand, writing in his note pad. After a moment he yanked the page out and tossed it into the wind. Nick quietly cleared his throat.

"The hell do you want…" The wolf muttered, not even looking up.

The fox's mouth opened, but he shut it again. What _did_ he want?

Zerrith flipped open his notepad to a random blank page. Though, instead of writing in it, he stared at it for a while in silence. Then, he ripped it out, crumpled it up, and threw it at Nick.

"That means go away, you don't want me hanging around you anymore."

Nick sighed and came closer. "I'm...sorry for what I said. You didn't need that."

"Anyone can _say_ anything," The wolf looked at the fox, his cheeks damp with tears. "But _meaning_ what you say is a different thing. And I doubt you're legitimately apologizing."

The fox sat next to him on the concrete. "I don't like being yelled at either. Not fun."

He glanced at the wolf; Zerrith simply stared at the ground.

He continued. "...I used to get yelled at a lot. By people who didn't like me because I'm a fox. They all thought I was trying to steal something or trick them."

Zerrith's ears twitched; he wasn't looking, though he was indeed listening.

Nick pointed at the badge on his chest. "But, uh...I got this. So people trust me more. Doesn't make them like me, but they don't yell anymore." He watched the boy. "So, I guess what I'm saying is...it gets better, y'know? You aren't stuck here forever. Some day, you're gonna kick life up the ass and tell it who's boss."

The boy sat silently for what seemed like an eternity, before he sighed. He stood up and stretched, placing his notepad in his shirt pocket again. He lightly wiped his cheeks, wiping away excess tears and leftover dampness. Finally, he smiled at the fox.

"So, I'm thinking you buy us a totally-not-too-late breakfast?"

Nick chucked and stood as well. "Hope you like doughnuts."

The boy licked his lips. "Mmm! Love 'em!"

The fox put a hand on his back and walked with him to the police car. "Come on, I'll let you turn on the sirens!"

Zerrith giggled. That sounded like fun to him.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**


	2. 2 - Assault

" _ **A Zootopia Story: Outfoxed**_ "

 **By ZangooseMiner and STT**

 **Chapter 2: " Assault**"

* * *

Nick set the warm box of doughnuts between the two seats, sniffing the air. "Mm...fresh," he smiled as he buckled up and took off the brake.

Zerrith eagerly flipped it open and took one of the sticky, glistening pastries out with his bare hands, taking a bite. "Mmm~! Sho tashty!"

The fox chuckled and grabbed a doughnut for himself. "Heh, don't talk with your mouth full, kid." He bit into his and pulled the car out onto the street.

The boy finished his first doughnut and reached for another. "Ain't this a little stereotypical? Cops eating doughnuts?"

Nick swallowed. "Hey, don't mess with a good thing, right?"

"Whatever you say...Redhead." The wolf rolled his eyes and bit into his second doughnut.

"Fluffball," the fox retorted. "Anyways, keep an eye out; people looove speeding down here."

"We were _speeding_ just to get over to this parking space. Shouldn't we get a ticket? For speeding at an unnecessary time?"

Nick thought about it, taking another bite, and shook his head. "Naw...copsh don't get ticketsh." In reality, he was supposed to be "setting a good example for the rest of the drivers," as Bogo put it. But what was the point of power if he couldn't use it?

"Well if you're gonna use the power of the law, go mad with it." Zerrith chuckled. "Have you ever tried going mad without power? It's boring, nobody listens to ya."

Nick glanced at the boy, a little disconcerted that he'd seemed to have read his mind. "Yeah, welcome to my life, where I have power and no one listens anyways."

"Hey, you're my boss right now, technically." The wolf shrugged. "As long as I'm your subordinate, I gotta do what you say. So I'll listen to you."

Nick placed a palm to his cheek and made a face of mock surprise. "No, _really?_ I never knew!"

Zerrith opened his mouth to say something but simply tightened his grip on the doughnut in hand and glanced away, a small blush on his cheeks. Great, now he went and said something stupid.

The fox sniffed and stayed silent for a bit, sensing the tension. "So, uh...what's it like at the orphanage?"

"Don't even get me started on how _shitty_ that place is!" The wolf sighed. "I mean, it's damp, cold, creaky, creepy, old, narrow, tall, dim...I could go on and on."

Nick grimaced and returned his attention to the road. "Yeesh, sorry for asking."

"It's fine...I know I'm, like, never going anywhere else though. You get used to it after a while."

He frowned and kept driving. He supposed if Zerrith was okay with it, he didn't have anything to worry about. Right?

"So...what inspired you to become a cop?"

Nick thought for a moment. "I guess it was Hopps. She sorta...pushed me into it, y'know?"

"She did…? So...you didn't really want to be one?"

He shook his head. "Not a bit. I didn't even _like_ cops." He sighed. "And yet...here I am, all dressed up and looking for speeders."

The boy looked down. "Huh...that's news to me."

Nick glanced at him with a pained expression. "B-But, I _am_ a cop _now_. I mean now. I mean, if I didn't want to be and now I am, you certainly can be."

"N-No, that's...not what I was getting at." Zerrith shrugged. "I...I'm just kinda surprised; do you still not want to be a cop?"

"Pffft, you kidding?" he chuckled. "I'm _way_ better off than I was back then. Do you even know what I was doing before?"

"Nope, not at all." The wolf shook his head. "Though, you do look familiar; you remind me of a guy I saw once across the street of my orphanage, selling popsicles."

"' _Paw_ psicles.' Yeah, that was me," he grinned.

"Sheesh...you were a jobless bum?" The wolf giggled with a taunting smirk.

"Jobless? No. I made tons of money."

"Hmm...what did you do with that money? Cause you don't seem filthy rich…"

"W-Well...guy's gotta live, right? I mean, that went to food, rent...taxes..." His voice became less confident as he went on.

The wolf slowly turned to look at him. "...taxes, you say?"

Nick looked a little nervous. "Oh, yeah! Looots of taxes."

Zerrith smiled before he started snickering. "Heh...s-sure ya did. I mean, it's not like Officer Hopps mentioned you, oh I don't know... _evaded them_."

Nick's ears flattened. "Oh, d-did she? I m-must've...forgotten to do them…!"

The boy simply laughed at that, looking back ahead out the windshield, a content, smug grin on his face. What a smartass.

He sighed. "Okay, fine, Fluffball. You got me. I evaded taxes because I was havin' it rough as it was without the city picking my pocket too." He looked sternly at the boy. "B-But, uh...don't skip taxes. That's...not good." Geez, that sounded tacky. One of the downsides of working for "the city."

"I may be young, but I'm not that impressionable. I know not to skip taxes." Zerrith shrugged. "But I'm surprised they hired a lawbreaking con artist like you. Do you pay them now?"

"Con artist?" Nick repeated indignantly. "I was a _hustler,_ thank you very much. And I'll have you know I do in fact pay ta-"

Nick was interrupted as a car blurred past far above the speed limit. He blinked in surprise.

Zerrith grinned and quickly shook his arm. "Snap out of your trance and chase him! You're a cop, right?! Act like one!"

The fox nodded and clicked a switch, making the car light up in blue and red, sounding the siren. He stomped on the gas.

The boy held on to the bar above the passenger door. Things were finally getting interesting!

Unfortunately for him, the "chase" only lasted a few seconds as the other car quickly pulled over. Zerrith groaned in disappointment.

"Booooo!" He crossed his arms. "No fun!"

Nick puffed and unbuckled. "Stay put, I'm gonna ticket this jerk."

The fox got out and walked over to the car, leaving Zerrith by himself.

The wolf sighed and leaned back. With nothing left to do, he started writing stuff in his notepad.

After a mindnumbingly long amount of time, he thought of something. Something he'd want to keep in mind for later.

Nick walked back over to the car and opened his door, though he stopped and eyed Zerrith curiously; the boy was chewing on a sheet of paper. "You know, we still have doughnuts left if you're hungry."

"Hm?" The boy swallowed the paper. "Oh, well, whenever I need to leave myself a personal reminder or whatever, I just eat the paper I write it on. It helps."

Nick couldn't help but snort. He sat in his chair. "If you say so. Sounds like a good way to papercut your stomach to me."

Zerrith was about to explain further, when a song started playing quietly from Nick.

He giggled. "Is that a Gazelle ringtone?"

The fox blushed and fished his phone from his pocket. "Don't act like you don't listen to her." He glanced at the screen; Bogo was calling.

Zerrith rolled his eyes. "I _don't_. She's good, but not my style of music."

Nick motioned for him to be quiet and answered. "'Yello, Chief."

"Cut the formalities Wilde, we need all officers on standby right now! Get the hell downtown!" The chief of police's voice boomed over the phone.

Nick moved the device away from his face with a wince. He'd once put Bogo on speakerphone and had to get his speaker replaced. "Downtown? Where?"

"The corner of Redhorn and Pine! Stat!"

There was a click as he hung up. Nick sighed. "Okay, Redhorn it is." He started the engine again and started towards the location.

The wolf blinked. "What's going on?"

"Some big issue or something. I guess we'll find out."

A few minutes later, they arrived.

And find out they did; and what they found was far from what they were expecting.

* * *

 **Two hours ago...**

* * *

"O-M-Goodness, this is so exciting!"

Judy rolled her eyes but smiled; at least Clawhauser was enjoying the car ride. But as long as the mood was bright, then she'd be enjoying it, too.

"Ben, it's just lunch. No big deal," she chuckled.

"But I never get asked out to lunch!" The cheetah giggled with delight. "I'm flattered!"

The bunny knew Nick was busy with Zerrith - she had no regrets signing the fox up for the apprenticing program. Still, she wanted to go out to lunch with _someone_. Benjamin Clawhauser seemed like the most appropriate choice while Nick was off; the two got along and he always managed to shoo away an impending cloudy mood.

She pulled up to the diner drive-thru and turned to him. "What do you want?"

"A large burger, large fry, large drink…" he listed. "Do they have large dessert doughnuts~?" Ben's tail swayed a bit, a hopeful smile on his face.

She barely resisted a smirk. "I don't think so...smoothies, maybe?"

"A large smoothie sounds sweet~!" The cheetah grinned with excitement. "Make it a strawberry shake?"

Judy nodded. She ordered and picked up the meal at the window, pulling into a parking spot. "Here's yours..." she mumbled, passing a few bags to Clawhauser. "And here's mine."

"Thank you!" he sang, digging through the bag and retrieving some wrapped burgers. "I'll pay you when we get back."

Judy smiled and took a bite of her own burger.

Ben picked up the cup nearest him and took a sip...then made a choking sound, sputtering and gagging a bit. "Oh-ho, geez! That's awful!"

Judy looked over, then back at the cup in her hand. "Oh, that one's mine! Sorry Ben!"

"N-No, it's fine. M-My fault, I grabbed the wrong one." The cheetah smiled, exhaling a bit. Suddenly he felt exhausted from that bout of coughing. "H-Here…" He swapped around the drinks and sipped his. "Ah...m-much...s-sweeter."

Judy furrowed her brow. "You okay?"

Clawhauser set his drink down with a shaky hand, rubbing his forehead with his free hand to wipe away sweat. He felt...hot, even though the car was air conditioned. "U-Urgh...n-no offense but...y-your drink was...the worst thing I've ever had...i-in a big plastic cup…!"

She touched her tongue to the straw but quickly retracted it with a yelp; it burned as it touched. "What the…?"

"H-Hey, Judy? I don't...feel too hot..." Ben slurred.

The bunny turned the engine on. "Come on, let's get back to the station, alright?" What was in that smoothie?

"...s-sure but...c-could I step outside for a sec? I-I need a moment…" The cheetah wiped away more sweat, feeling his insides burn and twist. This didn't feel right.

She backed out of the lot and drove down the street. "Just hold on a minute, we're close."

Ben groaned and held his sides. "Ugh...I think I-I just need...to…" Within moments, he fell forward, slamming his head on the dashboard. He was out cold in seconds.

Judy gave a cry of alarm. "Ben! Ben, come on!" She realized he was unconscious; she had to get him to a doctor. She took a turn and headed to the hospital instead.

The cheetah soon started to groan and his body shivered. He sounded like he was waking up.

Judy was relieved. "Ben? You okay?"

Ben looked up quickly...with wide eyes and small pupils. He furrowed his eyebrows into hateful glare as he showed sharp teeth, snarling at the bunny. Without any moment of delay or hesitation, he lunged at her from where he sat.

The rabbit screamed and shrunk away from him, barely avoiding his grasp. The car swerved. "Clawhauser! What are you doing!?"

The only response she got was a vicious growl as 'Ben' swiped his claws at her, trying to grab her and attack.

In a last-ditch effort to stop him, she managed to unclip something from her belt; a bottle labeled "Fox Repellant." She didn't know if it would work, and she didn't really care. The bunny pointed it at Clawhauser and pressed the cap down.

Like pepper spray to a pair of eyeballs, the cheetah didn't take to kindly to being sprayed, reeling back with a hiss as the detestable substance touched his eyes and tongue. He landed back in the passenger's seat, grabbing at his face angrily.

Judy focused on retaining control of the car while she had the chance. She knew what was wrong, as much as she tried to convince herself otherwise. "Sorry, Ben! You'll thank me later!"

A low rumbling noise filled the air, getting louder by the second. " _What…?"_ A mere second after glancing out the passenger-side window, Judy's eyes widened.

A huge semi truck was hurtling down the road at them.

In an instant, they collided. The sounds of crushing metal, shattering glass and screeching tires filled the air. For half a second it was silent as the car flipped end-over-end into the air, only to be replaced with a horrible slam and a scraping noise as they hit the ground once more, upturned.

Judy momentarily sat upside down before her seat belt snapped, and she landed on the ceiling of her car with a grunt. Everything hurt, but she managed to only let out a wince of pain as she rolled over onto her belly. She didn't want to move in fear of worsening her situation. Glancing around, she noticed Ben, laying out on the road near the car. He didn't look too horribly banged up, but he was definitely out cold again.

The sound of footsteps against the pavement and car doors slamming caught her attention, and she looked out the nearby window to see a pair of...fox paws? She blinked, a bit confused. "...N-Nick?"

After a second of silence, there came an unfamiliar chuckle.

"Ah...so you _do_ know him," they said in a deep, soft voice. "That's nice."

Judy struggled to sit up, but a sharp pain in her arm told her to stay down. She winced and whimpered.

"Damn..." the fox continued. "This could've been a lot less messy, you know? Fat guy wasn't supposed to get that stuff."

She thought for a moment until she realized what he meant by "that stuff."

"You...you _poisoned_ him!" she growled.

Another chuckle. The person squatted down; she could make out some torn-up pants and a red button-up shirt left hanging open, exposing his scarred chest. "No. He'll be fine. Just a little...violent."

The bunny glared, trying to crawl out. Yet, sharp pains everywhere still made her stay put. "Y-You won't get away with this…!"

He laughed and picked something up...the smoothie. "With what?"

She gasped quietly. That drink was the only evidence she had. "S-Stop! Put that down!"

The fox ignored him, standing to leave. "Aw, is there something wrong? I'm sure a good, honest cop like you will have no trouble convicting a big, scary fox like me. You could easily just throw me back in jail again! Isn't that ri-!" He chuckled as his voice raised in volume before he yipped and stumbled back with a cough. He rubbed his chest and growled as he stepped up onto the truck. "Bye-bye...Carrots."

Judy weakly reached out her hand, trying in some way to muster up any and all strength she could to crawl out there and fight back for the evidence, but she couldn't.

Her arm fell to the ground as her eyelids slowly closed, falling unconscious as the fox drove off down the road.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**


	3. 3 - Detriment

" _ **A Zootopia Story: Outfoxed**_ "

 **By ZangooseMiner and STT**

 **Chapter 3: "** **Detriment** "

* * *

Nick slowed his cruiser to a stop, parked behind a massive mess of other parked police cars, a few ambulances dotted among the crowd of vehicles as well.

"Hot damn…" Zerrith muttered. "Something exciting is happening!" He unclicked his seatbelt.

Nick placed a hand on his shoulder. "No, stay here. I'm gonna go see what's up."

The wolf huffed. "I'm your ward. I'm coming whether you like it or not!"

Nick locked eyes with the wolf. "No, you're _staying here._ I don't need a police officer thinking of you as a suspicious Fluffball and shooting you on sight," he joked, with just enough seriousness to make it seem like the truth.

The boy tensed and reattached his seatbelt. "Y-Yeah, I'll stay…"

"That, _and_ you did say I was your boss. You have to do everything I say."

Zerrith couldn't think of a response as he simply sighed. "I really need to shut up sometimes."

The fox opened the door and stepped out into the cool night, shutting the car behind him. Foggy exhaust and the sound of car engines drifted through the air. Nick quickly but apprehensively padded towards the most important-looking place, that being the one wrapped up in police tape like an illegal birthday present. He caught sight of the tallest person around: Bogo stood talking to someone near the tape.

"What's going on, Chief?" the fox asked, approaching him.

The buffalo looked down at him and grimaced. "Wilde...I want you to keep your head here."

Nick smirked. "Like I do anything else." He glanced around. "What's all this about?"

The Chief opened his mouth and shut it a few times, as if he were trying to say something and avoiding it at the same time. "I-It...it's Hopps," he finally grumbled.

The fox's ears drooped a bit, putting a dent in his usual composure. "Hopps? W-What's that supposed to mean?"

Bogo looked like he was going to explain, but stopped as Nick saw what he meant; a stretcher was being carried away from a crumpled mess of a police car.

"Wilde..." he began.

Nick's eyes slowly widened; he had already assumed the worst. Without listening to another word from Bogo, he found himself ducking under the police tape, making a mad dash for the stretcher.

"H-Hopps?" he called after getting a glimpse of silver fur, starting to run faster. "Carrots!?"

Once he got close, sure enough, Judy was laying there, unmoving. The rabbit's uniform was stained a glistening dark purple with what he could only assume was blood, a red trickle running down her forehead.

Nick's breath caught in his throat. "J-Judy!" he shouted. "What's the matter, what's wrong with her!?"

His breathing quickened as he watched her get carried off. His one friend. The one who brought him here. Hurt. Badly hurt. On-the-brink-of-death hurt. Some medics pushed him back and told him to stay away.

"Judy..." he muttered to himself.

He couldn't find any strength to move. Nick stood awkwardly, watching the ambulance move on down the road. The fox still watched, even after it was out of sight.

A hand softly settled on his shoulder from behind. He didn't have to turn to know it was Bogo.

"I...she'll be fine, Wilde," he said softly. "They'll make sure of that."

Nick wasn't completely convinced. He just kept staring off to where the ambulance had disappeared. His head lowered a little.

The buffalo sighed. "Just, uh...get some rest, Nick, alright?"

"...y-yeah, sure." The fox muttered with a slight nod, before he slowly stumbled back to his car.

Bogo watched him walk for a few steps before calling to him. "If you need anything...I can..." The Chief's voice trailed off. Who was he kidding? There was nothing he could do.

Back in the cruiser, Zerrith casually scribbled down some notes in his notepad, swallowing one of his papers. He looked up as the door opened and Nick glumly stepped in. "What's going on?"

The fox took his seat, then shut the door. He just stared out the window for a while before slamming his head into his steering wheel. Surprised, the wolf simply watched him sit there.

Then the fox started sniffling, and before he knew it, tears lightly trickled down his cheeks. "S-Someone...h-hurt her…"

Zerrith didn't know what was going on; he'd never seen Nick this upset. "W-Who…?" he practically whispered.

"S-Someone hit J-Judy…!" He sniffled more and more, wiping tear after tear off his cheeks.

The wolf let out a quiet gasp. "M-Miss Hopps! Who did it? Why did they hit her?"

"I-I don't know...god _dammit!"_ Nick slammed his fist down onto the wheel. "I-I shoulda gone with her! I coulda d-done…something…"

The boy stayed silent for a while, quietly observing the crying fox. "...how?"

Nick mumbled to the floor, not looking up. "How what..."

"H-How could you have done something? You...you didn't know it was gonna happen," he replied quietly. "There's...really nothing anyone could've done.

"And besides, even if you did, then what? You really think one person would've made the difference in an unexplained car crash amid a strange incident occurring at the same time?" He sighed. "Everything will be fine...don't beat yourself up over this."

Nick glanced over. "...I know..." He sniffed and sat up. "I-I just...wish I coulda' done something..."

"You can," Zerrith said. "You could go to the hospital and see her?"

The fox stayed silent. Honestly, the idea never occurred to him. "Uh...yeah, sure."

"Then let's go." He smiled. "It'd be best to see her okay, right? Banged up, yeah...but okay."

Nick sighed and nodded, before showing a small smile to the wolf. "Cmon, let's burn rubber, daylight's wasting!"

"...but it's night."

"Oh shoo, it still works." He chuckled and started off down the road towards the hospital.

' _Cmon, Carrots...you better be alright, or else I'll never forgive you.'_

* * *

The two walked up to the front desk of the Sahara Medical Center, where a goat woman tapped away on a keyboard. She glanced up with her disconcerting wide-pupiled eyes as they approached. "May I help you?"

Nick cleared his throat. "U-Uh, yeah we're here to see a Judy - er, a Ms. _Judith_ Hopps?"

The woman pursed her lips. "I'm sorry officer. Visiting hours are from one to nine. You'll have to come back tomorrow."

Nick knew his que. The fox's face scrunched in a fake cry as he looked away. "Oh, dear...she might not make it that long..."

"S-Sir?" The goat raised an eyebrow.

"Damn that cancer!" he mock sobbed.

Zerrith blinked. "...uh, what're you-"

"Quiet…!" He whispered, before resuming his act. "Th-The cancer! It was so terrible, oh, her poor heart just couldn't take it!"

"...what kind of cancer does she have?" The nurse crossed her arms.

Nick blinked, freezing. "Er...t-terminal seven...l-liver cancer?"

"...uh-huh." She tapped keys into the computer, an unimpressed stare on her face. She wasn't having it. "Yep, knew it. Says here."

"...s-says there she has it?" Nick smiled hopefully.

"Says here she's _clean_." The goat woman glared at the fox. "This isn't a place where lying is tolerated, sir."

Nick tensed. "Err...w-well, you see, the thing is, I, err, she, the wolf, we...the cancer, I-I mean the crash...the liver…" He gulped. "'C-Cancer' is really a _metaphorical_ thing, you see! She re-"

He stopped as he heard sniffling, and the two looked over at Zer, whose eyes were watery with tears. Soon, they trickled down, and the boy started crying.

"P-Please lemme see m-mommy!" He tried to wipe the constant tears streaming down his cheeks. "S-Sorry for lying b-but...I-I wanna see h-her!"

"M-Mommy?" She blinked. "But...h-how are you-"

"A-Adopted." Nick glanced back at the wolf. He couldn't tell if he was faking the _crying_ , even.

"P-Please...I-I just wanna see O-Officer Hopps-" He froze. Nick tensed again.

After a moment of silence, the goat woman sighed. "My apologies, I'll make an exception just this once. She's in room 327B, second floor, east wing."

Nick nodded with a smile, taking the boy's hand. "Thank you…"

The two kept walking, playing the act, until they rounded a corner towards the elevators, where Zer dropped the act and dead panned.

Nick's eyes widened. "Hot damn, you're talented, kid."

He chuckled. "Let's just go."

The hospital was almost empty, save for the occasional nurse making their rounds. Eventually the two arrived at the door. Nick checked the sign. Then double checked it. Triple.

Something squeezed his hand; he realized he'd never let go of Zerrith's. "Nick."

The fox looked down at the boy, who smiled softly back up.

"It'll be okay. Okay?"

Somehow, as small of a gesture it was, it seemed to help. Make him more confident she would be alright.

He smirked weakly. "Okay." The fox turned the knob and pushed in.

The sounds of medical equipment buzzing and monitors beeping were the only things penetrating the silence of the room. Nick stopped as he saw the short bed in the middle, a small figure draped in a blue blanket laying in it. "Judy..." he whispered.

He felt a small tug as Zerrith pulled him closer. "Come ooon!" he said quietly.

As he grudgingly approached and gained more vision of the rabbit, he became more and more nervous for her health; various tubes and wires stuck out from her, piping chemicals and air into her. Judy's little chest rose and fell gently.

Zerrith, however, seemed unphased by the sight, standing on his toes by the edge. "Should we wake her?" he whispered.

Nick took a while to respond. "Uh...n-no. She needs sleep. A lot of it. Let's-"

He halted as the bunny's eyelids cracked open a little, violet eyes slowly glancing over at him. The weakest smile Nick had ever seen tugged at her lips. "Nih..." she rasped.

The fox kneeled down slowly, not daring to touch her. "Shh...don't talk..." She seemed so...frail. Like a breeze could break her.

She swallowed, wincing. "Nick…? Zzz...Zer...h-hey..."

"Hi Judy," the wolf breathed.

The rabbit bit her lip weakly. "I fee...feel...like ssshit..." she slurred.

Nick snorted. "You don't look much better."

Judy chuckled quietly. "Oh, sh-shut up...dumb fff...fox..."

Zer blushed. "...s-seriously, are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, heh…" Judy slowly tilted her head to look at him. "I'll be fffffine...d-don't worry."

Every time the rabbit moved, Nick tensed up. He felt she'd easily break her body more if she didn't keep still. "S-So..." He swallowed nervously. "What...happened?"

Judy smiled softly at him. "N-Nick...don't be so worried..."

The fox blushed; his anxiousness was too obvious. "What, worried over you? I know you can take it, Carrots."

She took a raspy breath; Nick's heart skipped a beat in fear. It was like every breath could be her last in his mind.

"It wasss...a fox," the rabbit mumbled.

"A fox?" Nick repeated. He'd never seen many foxes in the city.

Judy nodded. "He...s-stole..." Another breath. "The evidence."

Wilde's eyebrows furrowed. "What...evidence?"

The rabbit glared as much as she could. "Nick...it was Nighthowler. He p-poisoned...Ben..."

"B-But...how? How'd he do it?"

The rabbit breathed again. "Nick. Wh-What...are you really...here fffor?"

The fox's ears drooped. "I-I...came to see you..."

"You're a sssucky liar."

He sighed. "I'm sorry. I just...I don't like not knowing things. You get hurt and no one knows why. I can't help it."

She wasn't having it, but she still smiled anyways. She looked to Zer once again. "Z...Zer?"

"H-Huh…?" The little wolf looked up. "Y-Yeah?"

"...k-keep an eye on Nick for me...k-kay?"

He nodded. "I-I will."

Nick sighed. "H-Hey, I don't...I don't need some brat watching-"

"That goes for y-you tttoo…" She glared a bit. "Y-You both just watch o-out for each other...a-alright…?"

He stared for a moment. "Yeah. Of course."

"Nick," she said sternly. "Don't...d-don't...go after him."

"Of course I'll catch- huh?" He snapped his head over in her direction. "What do ya mean? He's a _criminal_ , I'm a _cop_ , we're a match made in some form of hell."

"B-But...it's...d-dangerous. I-I mean, l-look at _me_. I-I'm a c-cop too...b-but I got hurt. I-I'm frail, w-weak, useless...j-just a dumb b-bunny."

Nick stared before firming his gaze. "To hell with that, you're strong, brave...smart...you're my best friend, practically, and I won't just sit back and let the man who almost _killed_ you roam free."

"...N-Nick, please." Judy coughed lightly, making Nick step towards her in concern. She briefly held a hand up. "I-I'm fine...j-just...dddo it for my sake, alright…? S-Sit this one out."

The fox frowned and glanced at Zerrith. The boy only shrugged with a worried gaze. Nick sighed. "...heh, alright. You win, I'll go lounge around back home."

Judy smiled. "G-Good...n-now lemme rest...a-alright?"

Nick smiled back. "Totally. C'mon, Zer."

The fox took the wolf out of the room, and once Judy heard the door close, she chuckled.

"Heh...watch out for him, Z-Zer...that fox never l-listens to me."

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**


	4. 4 - Progress

" _ **A Zootopia Story: Outfoxed**_ "

 **By ZangooseMiner and STT**

 **Chapter 4: "** **Progress** "

* * *

"What do you mean we aren't partners!" Zerrith whined as Nick pulled to a stop in front of the orphanage.

The fox sighed. "Zer, look. There is no case or big crime here. There's no detective work to do. It's almost midnight and honestly, I'm tired."

"B-But...but I thought...with the...and the...what we did…" The wolf went silent, unable to find any words. "...w-why?"

"...cause I can't risk myself, or you, for the sake of hurting her even more…" Nick rubbed the back of his head. "Get some sleep...I'll see you around."

"...are...y-you going…" He sniffled. "...a-are you gonna go look for him _without me?!_ "

Nick stared at him directly in the eyes through the rearview mirror. "No. I made a promise to Judy and I intend to keep it. The other cops on the force will do what they can, alright?"

He frowned, before pouting as he hurriedly got out of the car, storming up the steps into the tall orphanage. The door slammed behind him, and Nick sighed. He'd be better in the morning.

The fox drove his cruiser down the street, coming to the intersection he'd turn right at before driving back to his place in Rainforest District. Typically, he'd be coming from the left, where the Police Headquarters was. The road was empty tonight, not even a moving car in sight. The fox clicked his blinker on to signify he was turning right.

Because he was. He would wait here until this light turned green, then go right. To his home. Where he told Judy he would go.

He found himself glancing at the Headquarters. Why? He'd promised.

The light turned green. He pulled forward, and made a left towards the Headquarters.

Screw the promise, he would _not_ get hurt, he would _not_ let that scumbag be out and about after putting his best friend in the hospital, close to death.

He walked through the front door and looked up at the desk, where he expected Clawhauser to be. Except in his place was a hulking elephant, boredly rolling a pencil around with her trunk. Of course he wouldn't be here, Nick scolded himself.

"Hey, uh, Francine?" he called up.

"Hm?" The elephant looked down. "Oh, hey, Wilde. What brings you here so late?"

"It's...really important. And secret, so no telling anyone." He glared slightly. "Not even _Bogo_."

"...what is it you want me to do?"

"...I need a _teensy_ little peek at the security tapes from earlier today, over on the corner of Redhorn and Pine." The fox sighed. "Bogo doesn't want me involved...but I _need_ to find who hit Ju- er, Officer Hopps."

Francine eyed him suspiciously. "Hm...this is a real big risk, Wilde. If Bogo finds out about this...we'll both be in hot water."

"I know, I know, but...he won't, just don't tell him. Okay? And if he ever asks where I am, just say I'm home resting."

She pursed her lips and squinted.

"Pleeease?" he asked in a high voice.

"Fine," she sighed, handing down a card to the fox. "Video Room B, back of the building. Just be quiet."

Nick nodded and smiled, walking around the counter. "Thanks, France! You're the best!"

"You'd better not get me fired, Wilde!" she shouted after him.

He jogged through some halls and found the door, checking left and right cautiously before swiping the card and going in. The fox sat in the oversized swivel chair and pumped it high enough for him to get at the computer, which fortunately was as high as the seat went.

"Alright, now if I were-" He stopped, seeing the computer was password protected. "...well shit, how am I gonna...huh?"

He glanced at the bottom corner of the monitor's border, seeing a sticker; a nametag sticker.

' _Hello! My Name Is: Property of Benjamin J. Clawhauser~'_

Nick blinked before chuckling. "That's right, Ben donated his monitor to the force…"

The fox sighed, remembering what had happened to the cheetah. But he couldn't dwell too much on it now.

"Now...if I were Ben...would my password be…?"

He typed in a word and hit enter, and the desktop popped up with a 'ding'.

"Huh...didn't think 'Gazelle' would work!"

A basic interface popped up, showing a street map with camera icons scattered around. The fox navigated to the one he wanted - Redhorn Lane - and clicked. A live view of the crime scene appeared. Nick pursed his lips at the sight of the pulverized police car, still wrapped in police tape. He felt even more motivated to catch this guy now.

The fox scrolled back on the timeline until the wreckage disappeared. The screen blurred and became staticy for a moment as it 'rolled', the rewinding effect old and akin to the ancient monitor it was being played on. Nick sighed; now to wait. Being a cop wasn't always fun.

He glanced back up at the screen after a moment, quickly stopping once he saw the massive truck 'uncolliding' with the car. He pressed play and shielded his eyes, but winced when he heard the vehicles come into contact; he couldn't bear to watch. The noise eventually stopped, and he looked up.

The crumpled car was on it's head, and Clawhauser laid on the asphalt a few feet away. The semi truck's doors swung open, and out stepped...a grizzly bear? Nick furrowed his brow. Judy mentioned a fox, but not this guy. He had seen a few bears before, but this one didn't look any familiar.

Then, out from the driver's seat, stepped the aforementioned fox.

He appeared slightly bigger than Nick, if not a tad scraggly and horribly unkempt, like someone ripped straight from a mental asylum in the movies. His fur was the same orange-red shade as his, and his clothes were very...unique, to say the least; some torn-up pants and a red button-up shirt left hanging open, exposing his scarred chest. But what stuck out to Nick was the shiny, black piece of metal that appeared to be tightly clamped around his neck.

So, the perp was into the punk look? Nick looked closer as the person circled around the destroyed vehicle; there seemed to be a green light shining steadily from the accessory, and it was located slightly off-center, where the jugular would be found.

The person leaned over and stayed there a while. He seemed to be talking, but the audio was so terrible it was no more than a muffled sound. Soon he rose and came back to his unmoving companion, handing him something. The muffled talking rose in volume, and as it did, the green light went yellow, then orange, and eventually bright red. The fox cut off, staggering back and doubling over - revealing he had no tail.

Nick's eyes went wide. He'd only seen one tailless fox in his life...and he knew that reaction all too well.

He paused the video feed and simply stared. "...n-no...n-no way...i-it can't be…"

He clicked the footage frame by frame...that walk, the blue eyes, the collar; he had to warn someone.

Nick jumped off the chair, not bothering to log out, and sprinted towards the door.

Only to slam right into a static wall of muscle. He tipped backwards and fell right on his butt, not daring to look up.

"Wilde," Bogo growled.

His ears fell. "Chief..."

And yet...he surprisingly didn't yell. "I saw this coming from a mile away."

"...s-so what now?"

The buffalo simply gestured toward the door. "This is a _warning_. Now _go home_."

Nick sighed, starting to get up, before his ears shot up again. "W-Wait, Chief, look at the footage, there's-"

"I don't care if there's a leaf in the wind or a flower in the road or a jaywalker walking through traffic." His voice slowly got louder. "This is _not your case!_ Now _go._ _ **Home.**_ "

(Added all of this.)

Nick raised a finger to object, but simply lowered his hand and sighed. "Yes, sir..." He exited the room in defeat before he paused. "Ch-Chief?" he quietly started.

The buffalo sighed in exasperation. "What, Wilde?"

Nick wrang his tie, ears folded down. "J-Judy...she's my friend... _best_ friend, a-and I...I just wanted to..."

Bogo let out a low breath. "I know, Nick." The chief turned around and looked down at him, expression softened in what seemed to be genuine concern. "But even if I wanted you on this case, you have too much personal attachment to it; it's against the rules. Not to mention it's unbelievably stupid."

Nick glanced up questioningly.

"I don't know who this person is, but if they have the nerve to poison and attack my officers off-duty, they're dangerous. I know their type. I don't need another dead cop on my hands." He lowered his eyebrows and stared at him intensely. "Go home, Wilde. We'll handle this."

Nick gazed up for a moment before blinking. He timidly nodded and shuffled away wordlessly. Bogo sighed and rubbed his forehead. What was he gonna do with that fox?

Nick quietly left the building, ignoring the farewells of Francine, and hopped into his car, then slowly drove home. ' _Great...what am I gonna do now?'_

He soon stopped at the terminal that would take him to the Rainforest District, where his horribly shameful apartment was...oh, he couldn't even call it that. It was basically akin to a squatter, except for one person. Or a boiler room.

The fox parked his car in the reserved section, where he'd pick it up in the morning upon his return to central Zootopia. He boarded a tram and silently watched the nighttime lights rush by in a breeze as the speedy vehicle moved along.

It wasn't fair. None of this was fair. He should have been out there, hunting this guy down himself. Not going home and sleeping.

Not giving up.

The tram slowed to a stop, and thankfully the weather in the Rainforest District was only a light fog and not a heavy rain. Nick trudged along until he arrived at the hotel where he stayed, a low quality, slightly rickety looking building partially built inside a tree. The 'Gatefalls Hotel' was all he could afford however. It was so old, sometimes he passed right by it, it was so unrecognizable of a building.

The fox glanced up at the street signs, then back at the building. "...yep, 1955 Cypress Grove Lane. I didn't miss it this time."

He quietly entered and rode the old, slow elevator. The cheapest rooms were on the top floor, and they were cheap due to the quality of said rooms. Nick's was the only one he could buy, yet he couldn't really call it an apartment room; mainly cause it wasn't.

Nick silently strolled down the hall of the thirteenth floor, towards the door at the adjacent wall. He grunted in annoyance every time he saw the old door that was his room, and the long walk to it made it feel so mocking. The now rusted, once shining golden nameplate on the door was once coated in a glob of similarly colored paint, albeit a tad brighter, with the room number '13-I' imprinted on it. However, that glob of paint had since faded, and underneath were the words 'Pipe Maintenance'. The fox hoped placing a sticky note over the nameplate with '13-I' scribbled on it would make it feel less demeaning, but it didn't really help.

He reached into his pocket and fished out his ring of keys. A plentiful amount of them were from the police force. Most of them were shiny or slightly dulled, but his room key was the easiest to distinguish; it was a copper key that had partially turned green, and was slightly bent. Nick inserted it into the lock, twisting it as if he were a dentist pulling a tooth, until a disconcerting crunch signaled the rusted bolt had released.

The fox turned the knob, and with a grunt of effort, lifted the door up slightly in it's frame, forcing it inwards with a loud creak. Water got into everything up there. He sighed and ripped the key from its slot, looking around the dark place. In a normal house, he figured, he'd probably flick a light switch on and illuminate his cozy little abode. Except here, there were no lights, and to call it cozy would require an extremely creative use of the word, and it would need to be said by an extremely generous person. No matter, his night vision did the job just fine for him.

And the pipes, they were _everywhere_. They littered the walls and ceilings, going every which way and always acting as a hinderance. The fox usually spent time navigating them like a maze or breaking his back just to crawl under some of them, when he wasn't avoiding the occasional burst of steam from one or drops of water being collected in various containers scattered about.

Speaking of those, he had completely forgotten; as he stepped into the hot room, he had forgotten about the small bucket by the entrance, and he tensed up and cringed as his foot slammed down into the cold water that filled it. He bit on his lip hard as he refrained from exclaiming an irritated curse, before he slowly lifted his drenched foot out and wiped it on the carpet nearby.

He looked at the puddle of water he'd created on the floor, and for a half second considered cleaning it up before he sighed. "Screw it," he mumbled, unbuckling his utility belt and tossing it aside, where it landed near a low placed sticky note that read 'Police Stuff' in messy print.

Nick tugged at a sleeve, pulling his shirt collar over his head. With a bit of squirming, he dragged the tight blue uniform top off, balling it up and throwing it with his belt. Warm air hit his bare midsection as the fox sat on the floor and worked the stirrups off of his feet. The steam running through the pipes lacing his ceiling always kept the place at a consistent, uncomfortably warm temperature; foxes weren't meant to live in the jungle, he'd decided long ago.

He finally got undressed and slumped over to an oversized dresser at the side of the room, taking the knob of the lowest drawer and pulling it. The storage place slid out, showing it contained some pillows and a dull red blanket that he'd kept there for who-knows-how-long.

He sighed at the sight, thinking about what Judy had said to him weeks ago after seeing the place. " _You_ live _here?"_

" _Yeah, I do, Carrots,"_ he'd replied.

" _Nick..."_

" _What? It's not so bad."_

She'd looked up at him, made that face she did when she was trying to be tough. " _Nick. As your friend. I can't let you stay here like this."_

" _Yeah?"_ he snorted. " _So what are you gonna do about it?"_

Nick blinked out of his thoughts and glanced at some boxes, empty ones he still had to pack. He chuckled half-heartedly. "... _that's_ what she did about it." She really didn't know when to quit.

His face lowered. Guess that's what made them different. He stared at the "bed," a bit of an awareness that this was less than what most people could survive day to day with working into his head. He shook it out.

"Screw it," he muttered again, clambering into the drawer. Dwelling on it would just make him feel bad about it.

The fox grunted in discomfort as a part of his torso was forced to hang over due to the small size of the drawer, the rounded wood pressing partially into his chest and gut. The addition of an overlapping blanket layer between him and the wood helped a little, but not by much.

He sighed and looked around for something hopeful to look at, but none of the numerous posters in his room did the trick. He adjusted in his "bed" before bumping the table, knocking something off and on to his face. Nick sighed yet again and lifted the object up, before he tensed upon eyeing it.

His checkbook.

The fox slapped a palm to his face. He'd totally forgotten to send money to his mother for the past month; he'd been so busy being a cop. She must've thought he was rich, sending so much to her out of his meager paycheck. She'd flip if she saw this place.

Nick placed the checkbook back on the table and sighed. Maybe tomorrow would be a better day. "Please let it be..." he said to no one in particular as drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**


	5. 5 - Bonding

**_" A Zootopia Story: Outfoxed"_**

 **By ZangooseMiner and STT**

 **Chapter 5: " Bonding"**

* * *

Nick's fur stood on end as the shrill beeping of his alarm clock pulled him away from the relieving feeling of sleep. He sighed in annoyance as he slowly rubbed his eyes and crawled out from his "bed". The fox stretched and cracked his back, before scratching his bare chest and making his way over to the small bureau near the door where his alarm clock sat.

The clock was perpetually stuck at 7 AM, so Nick never really knew what time it actually was. With a sigh, he slammed the snooze button down and yawned.

"...ugh." He stood in place for a moment to get his bearings, the haze fading in and out from his vision. Once he was slightly more awake, he made his way over to the shoddiness that was his bathroom.

Most people would complain about not being able to take a hot shower. However, Nick considered this a balanced blessing, given the perpetual heat within his room. He stripped off his underwear and clambered into the mucky, ivory tub, then turned the knob. Cold water splashed his snout, and he immediately found himself more awake than he was minutes earlier. He smiled, feeling the relief from the hot air as he drenched himself in the cold.

He sighed and closed his eyes, rubbing his sore neck; he was sure he'd developed some form of spinal arthritis by now from his horrible sleeping posture. He thought about what had happened yesterday. It all seemed so...surreal. He'd almost lost her. They both acted so casual about it, but if she'd gotten hit from any other angle…

Nick shook his head, drips of water swinging off. She was alive, and that was all that counted. Bogo and co. would find this cop killer and bring him down. He was sure of it.

The stream of water sputtered and weakened before slowing to a drizzle from the showerhead. The fox groaned. "That's okay, I was done anyways!" he shouted at the twisted mess of pipes above. He found himself wondering how the plumbing was at Judy's place.

The fox carefully stepped out onto the slippery, grimy linoleum that was the bathroom floor. He was pretty sure this room was installed as a total afterthought. He wrapped a towel around his waist. They were surprisingly clean, a huge contrast to the rest of his room.

He stared at himself in the mirror and yawned yet again. "...look at yourself, you're a mess when you're in here."

His life practically did a one-eighty whenever he stepped into his room, from clean and mostly normal to dreary and depressed. Nick couldn't wait to move out.

The fox opened the mirror medicine cabinet and got out a few objects. He brushed his teeth, deodorized, shaved a bit of excess fur, and then finished drying. As he dropped his soaked towel to the floor, he glanced at a clear bottle in the cabinet; cologne, incredibly cheap cologne at that.

"...eh, screw it." He chuckled and grabbed the bottle, spraying a bit on. "Might as well smell better than this room."

Nick lazily strolled into the main portion of his room, ducking and dodging the numerous pipes. He couldn't wait to throw on his clothes, moving around nude was a horribly uncomfortable feeling. The fox glanced over at his police uniform on the floor.

 _'...Bogo probably wouldn't want me in today. Hell, even if he did, he'd probably just stick me at a desk and have me file folders and evidence and shit.'_

He grabbed a clean pair of underwear and slid it on, then reached for his phone on the nearby table. Dialing the number of the chief, he held the phone away from his ear; Bogo tended to be a bit too loud when speaking on the phone.

" _Crzzt_ _..._ hello?" The voice on the other end wasn't too loud.

"H-Hey Chief." Nick muttered. "I'll be, err, 'subbing out' today, heh."

" _...pardon?_ " Bogo gruffly responded.

"I mean I won't be coming in today, I just need...a day to take my mind off of things." The fox replied.

There was silence on the other end for a bit. "Wilde. It's Saturday; you already _have_ the day off."

The fox stared. "W-What…?" He looked at the screen. Sure enough, it read the date. He blushed. "O-Oh...uh...s-sorry?"

A sigh. "Good bye, Wilde."

The moment the phone clicked, Nick blinked. That was easier than he expected.

He set the phone down and went to change into his casual wear. As he pulled it out of a drawer, he chuckled.

 _'Heh, I remember when dad made this for me years ago, saying I'd grow into it as an adult...he may have been a tailor, but not a very good one.'_

He slipped the chartreuse button-up over his shoulders and fastened it up to the second-highest button, letting the long ends hang down. The fox slipped on his saggy tan pants, which, if he remembered correctly, were actually a modified pair of lion-sized shorts. Either way they fit well enough that he didn't have to bother with a belt.

Nick patted down his outfit and almost headed for the door before remembering a missing piece; he retrieved a dark blue and white-striped tie from on top of his dresser. It was still tied around an invisible neck, waiting to be hung around his own. He'd never admit it, but he had never learned to tie one. What a disgrace of a tailor's son.

He picked it up and, with a bit of force, squeezed his head through to allow the tie a neck to hang on. It loosened a bit with every usage, and Nick wasn't looking forward to the day it came undone. With a sigh, he went over to his bathroom mirror once again. Having a staring contest with his mirror counterpart, he was entirely unsure of what to do for the day...or at all, since he wasn't allowed to take the case.

 _'...wait, maybe…'_

An idea clicked in his head as he hurried towards the door, snatching up his ring of keys as he went. He hurried out of the apartment and into the fresh air of the Rainforest District.

 _'Might as well make it up to **him**.'_

* * *

Nick panted as he entered the orphanage's main office. He couldn't take his police cruiser when he was off-duty, so he had to walk all the way to the building.

He pushed the squeaking door open, glancing around the quiet place. He'd never actually been in this building, only outside to pick up and drop off Zerrith.

He wasn't impressed.

The floor tiles were bland and many of them were cracked or missing entirely, the walls were lined with a pale blue wallpaper that was peeling and torn. Looking up to the ceiling, he was greeted by nothing but rickety-looking rafters. For a moment, he thought he'd walked into a condemned sanitorium, until someone spoke up from the back of the room.

"Welcome to Bandobrook Orphanage, how can I help?" The voice Nick heard was gravelly and half-hearted, and was grating on the fox's ears.

He looked over at the desk at the back of the room, locking eyes with an elderly looking female bulldog. Her eyes were cold and uncaring, and Nick could tell she'd rather be anywhere else right now.

With a sigh, he approached. "Err, Officer Nicholas Wilde, here to retrieve one Zerrith Powers?"

She eyed him suspiciously, before slowly placing on a pair of eyeglasses and sliding a swivel chair over to a computer. The monitor was a thick, box shaped one, with an ugly piss-tinted-yellow coloring, and since it was positioned slightly at an angle, Nick could see the various wires shooting out the back, and the screen was bright and blurry. He felt slightly bad the wolf had to stay in such a shoddy, low budget building.

The woman typed on the keyboard for a moment, each click of a key shooting dust into the air, before she slid back over. "Floor 5, Room 87B, knock before entering."

Nick sighed. Her manner of speech told him she had spoken the same generic phrase to numerous people, numerous times. "Thanks."

The fox walked to the right of the lobby, where there was a flight of stairs and two elevators. He went for the elevators before he noticed the sticky notes stuck on each of them.

"Out of Order"

Nick felt his eye twitch before he grunted in annoyance and placed a hand to his temple. "Oh for the love of…"

He grudgingly headed for the stairs, stepping up each with a low creak. He found himself trusting them less and less the further from the ground they delivered him. Eventually, he got to the fifth floor, glancing around tiredly; at least he knew the kid was getting his exercise.

Nick wandered the halls, passing numerous empty rooms before he arrived at the one the greeter had directed him to. He knocked gently.

"Who is it?" a small voice called through after a moment.

"Your favorite person in the world," he chuckled back.

More silence. "Go away."

Nick furrowed his brow. Was he that mad over what happened? "Come on, I walked all the way here!"

"Good, then you can walk all the way back," Zerrith grumbled.

Nick frowned and turned the knob, pushing the resisting door inwards. This room was even sadder than the rest of the building; dusty wood flooring, crumbling paneled walls. One smeary circular window sat in the far wall. In one of the two baren bunk beds laid a small dark grey wolf, facing the wall.

"Zer?" he said quietly, stepping in.

No response.

Nick glanced at the two bunk beds. Might as well try and make some sort of conversation. "So uh...where are your bunk mates, or whatever?"

"I don't have any." The wolf muttered bluntly.

The fox tensed. "O-Oh…"

An awkward silence set in yet again.

"...look, I'm sorry about yesterday, but I want to make it up to ya."

"Don't you have a case to solve? You know, without me?"

"Actually…" He didn't want to tell the kid he hadn't initially planned on visiting. "...I-I actually took the day off and came to visit."

"Well that's a load of sh-"

"Hey." Nick cut him off with a glare. "Look, you're gonna have to cut back on swearing."

"You're not my dad. You can't order me around all the time."

The fox opened his mouth to retort, but in a rare event he couldn't come up with what to say. He sighed. "...I'm...sorry for dumping you here. Last night."

No answer.

"I was just...upset. And I know you were too." He leaned back against a bunk. "I just really wanted to be on that case, fix the problem myself. But Bogo says I can't, so...I can't." Nick smirked. "So I guess I might as well spend my day off fixing _something_ _._ "

After another minute of silence, the wolf sat up in his bed and turned to face him. "...fix it how?"

The fox sneered as he strolled over to the door. "Care to fill me in on your favorite ice cream flavor?"

Zerrith's eyes widened. "I-Ice cream?"

"Yeah, on me. We could both use a sweet treat."

The boy smiled. "I haven't had ice cream in a while...b-but there's a really good place downtown!"

Nick chuckled as the boy sprinted by him and into the hall. "And that would be?"

"Oh just come on!" He grabbed the officer's wrist and tugged him along down the hall. "You'll see! I know where it is!"

After a short marathon back down the stairs, Nick was dragged down the street. He panted for breath; the walk coupled with a combined ten flights of stairs had drained him. "Wh...Where are you taking me?"

Zerrith slowed, sensing the fox's exhaustion. "S-Sorry...it's only a block away!"

Nick groaned and waddled behind him. "This...had better be...worth it!"

Zerrith finally stopped in front of a wide indentation between two tall office buildings. "Here we are!"

The fox tiredly trudged over and slumped against a nearby publicly potted plant. "Oh, my aching legs…"

The wolf grunted, glaring over his shoulder. "Oh c'mon, you; if I have to travel up and down a grand total of ten flights of stairs every day, you can walk eighty feet from that plant to the door. Now come _on!_ "

Zerrith grabbed Nick's hand and pulled him up, then dragged him through crowds of people and outdoor seating towards a building at the back of the indentation. The moderately tall, multi-colored ice cream parlor, fittingly named 'Sweet Surprise', was one he had surprisingly missed, despite having been nearly everywhere in the city. The building was cylindrical, shaped to look like a store-bought ice cream container, with a polka-dot pattern of brown, pink, green, white, and other ice-creamy-like colors.

Entering, the two were met with a blast of chilled air, the tiled floor decorated with paint splotches meant to replicate splattered bits of ice cream. Nick grimaced; he feared he'd absentmindedly step on an _actual_ glob of the frozen treat. Zerrith hurriedly pulled him along and over to the counter.

"So what's your favorite flavor?" The boy asked, happily peering through the glass counter at the tubs of ice cream, his tail wagging a little.

"Heh, blueberry." Nick eyed the ice cream until he locked contact onto the flavor he desired. "You never told me yours."

"Black raspberry." Zer replied. "It's kind of an odd flavor but...it's super sweet!"

The fox made a disgusted face, letting his tongue fall out with a "Blegh."

"Whatever you want," he shrugged.

The boy rolled his eyes. Suddenly the pink door behind the counter swung open, and a tall, white bear stepped through, big grin on his face.

"Welcome to Sweet Surprise!" he beamed. "What can I getcha?"

"One super-duper-mega-scooper kiddie cone please, filled with black raspberry!" Zerrith beamed and giggled. Nick was surprised, not used to an incredibly childish persona coming from the wolf, all things considered.

The bear chuckled and reached over to pat the boy's head with a massive hand. "On it's way! And you sir?"

Nick shrugged. "Blueberry, small cup."

"Sure thing, I'll be back in a few!" He hurried off into the kitchen.

Zer frowned at Nick. "Booo, your order is boring!"

"Well I'm not gonna say something stupid like a super...scooper...whatever the hell you ordered."

The wolf quietly whined in dismay. "W-Well...eh, n-nevermind. Your order is fine."

The bear reemerged, holding a small cup and a slightly swirled cone. "Alrighty..." he muttered, scooping one blob of periwinkle blue into Nick's cup. He passed it down to the fox.

Then the bear proceeded to plop scoop after scoop of lavender blobs onto Zerrith's cone; Nick furrowed his brow, as the stack was rising like the price would be, to dangerous heights.

"And, one for you! Don't drop it!" He warned as he handed the wolf the giant ice cream.

"Thanks mister!" The boy beamed a toothy grin. "Nick, pay up while I go eat." He carefully walked off and found a booth on the left side of the building.

Nick chuckled as he watched him balance the ice cream on the cone, before taking out his wallet and turning back to the bear. "Alright, now how much do I owe-"

He tensed, blinking as he saw the polar bear's figure replaced by a hulking giant of a bear; the one from the security tapes. " _Your life._ "

"M-My what?"

"I said four ninety-five."

The fox blinked. The polar bear was there again. "...h-huh?"

"Sir, are you alright?"

"...y-yeah, sorry. Just tired." He pulled out a few dollars and placed them on the counter. "Keep the change." Then he took his cup and walked off to sit with Zerrith.

He rubbed his head and glanced back at the counter every so often.

 _'Was I...hallucinating? Must've been, just...tired, is all.'_

"You okay? You look like crap." Zer muttered with a raised brow as he lightly lapped at his treat.

The fox licked his own ice cream. "Do I?" He felt his eyes; there were bags under them. "Yes, yes I do."

The boy giggled and continued licking his frozen tower. "Whatever."

Nick eyed the monstrous stack of flavored globs once again. "You better hope that doesn't fall on ya."

"Oh please." He smiled wryly. "What's the worst that could-" The boy was interrupted as the top most glob slipped off and pegged him straight on the forehead.

Nick stared for a moment before his mouth pulled into a smirk. He snorted. "Oh, I don't know, _that?_ " he chuckled.

Zerrith blushed and glared at him, picking up a napkin. "Yeah, real funny!"

The fox glanced up again and immediately snickered at the sight of the boy with a splat of violet on his head. "J-Just...get a na-hapkin!" he wheezed through his teeth, covering his face as he shook with laughter.

"S-Stop that!" the wolf growled, mopping the mess off of himself. "You aren't helping!"

The fox gasped and sat back in his seat, wiping a tear from his eye. His face was red from the bout of chuckling. "Oh...aw man...s-sorry! I really needed that..."

He had to stifle more giggles and chortles as he watched Zerrith's numerous attempts to clean his fur, though he just ended up smearing the ice cream across his temple. "D-Did I get it off?"

A part of him wanted to say yes, but Nick knew that would be going too far. "N-No, heh, lemme get you another napkin or two."

As he made his way over to the bar near the main counter, where numerous toppings, napkins, and utensils were, Nick glanced at the bear at the counter every so often. After seeing the video tapes, he couldn't help but feel a growing paranoia. He quickly looked away once the two almost locked eyes, as he returned to the table with a stack of five napkins.

"Here, should be enough."

"Is my fur gonna stain purple?"

Nick looked up at the dull tint of lavender on his head, smiling amusedly. "No, just shower when you get back to the orphanage."

Zerrith took the napkins, suddenly looking upset. "Y-Yeah...I guess..."

The fox sat and furrowed his brow. "What?"

"I-I...thought that maybe..." He blushed and looked up. "I could...stay with you tonight?"

Nick blinked, his eyes wide. He was a little taken aback. "S-Stay with me? Uh, well..."

Zer frowned and looked away. "It's okay, you don't have to. I just thought it'd be cool, is all..."

The fox watched the wolf scrub ice cream off of his head halfheartedly with the napkins before sighing. "Alright, I'll...think about it," he sniffed.

The boy brightened. "Really?"

"I said _think!_ I don't..know if you can." There were likely a lot of rules on this sort of thing, such as whether or not he could sign Zerrith out for a night, or if it was even legal whatsoever. "I'll...pull some strings or something, if it comes to that."

"Yay!" The pup cheered and yanked out his notebook, scribbling down a few frantic notes.

The fox was starting to get curious. "I keep seeing you pull that out everywhere, and you even eat the damn paper. What's up with that notepad? Why is it so special?"

The boy stopped writing and glanced up. "Well ya see, it's mainly becaush mrph…" He stopped speaking as he slowly yanked a paper out, crumpled it up, and shoved it in his mouth. It was clear he had no intent on talking about the matter, if the slowly forming blush didn't tell the fox that enough.

Nick chuckled. "Alright, I won't pry."

The two sat in silence for a while, finishing up their frozen treats. The fox glanced around. "We're almost done...you wanna do anything else after this?"

"I dunno…" He scratched his head. "...wait, can I ask you something?"

"I dunno, can you?" The fox chuckled at the boy's glare. "Sure, what's up?"

Zer sighed. "...so what's up with the 'case'? You never bothered explaining it…"

He pursed his lips. "I...don't wanna talk about that right now. Let's jus-"

Nick stopped as the boy shook his head. "Nuh-uh. You've gotta tell me. You already left me out _twice_ this whole thing!" he puffed.

The fox sighed; Zer had a big issue with being left out, and limited Nick to once a month. Twice was already too much. "Fine. But you have to call me Mister Wilde for a week."

Zerrith rolled his eyes. "Whatever, just spill it."

Nick sighed and leaned forward, speaking lowly. "Okay...promise not to get mad or anything?"

Zer squinted, nodding a little.

"I snuck back into HQ last night after I dropped you off."

The wolf's face displayed a stream of emotions, from confusion to shock and finally anger. He sat up and took in a breath. "Y-You said-!"

"Hey, don't be mad, remember!" Nick frowned.

The boy stopped and glared before plopping back down, crossing his arms with a pout. "Fiiine...then what?"

"Well...I snuck a peek at some security tapes, ones that showed the car crash." He grinned. "I spotted our guy."

"...you did? For real?" The wolf leaned in intently, and grinned once the fox nodded. "Hot damn! Let's go arrest that creep!"

"Hooooold on." Nick quickly grabbed the boy's wrist before he could dash from the building. "I never said I got a _good_ look at him. But I...I think I'll be able to find him. He's very...distinguishable."

"...so let's _go_."

"No, we can't."

"Why noooot?" The boy whined, finally sitting back down. "I wanna help! We're a team!"

"...it's just too dangerous, okay? Besides, I have the day off, and-"

"No!" Zerrith slammed his fists on the table. "We're a team! We're gonna work together, whether you like it or not!"

"Either of you care for some sprinkles?" a voice asked from the side. Both looked up to see the polar bear glancing between them. "Or...syrup?" Nothing but exasperated stares. "No? Okay..." He grimaced and walked back to the counter.

Nick sighed and gazed over at Zerrith. As much as he wanted to protest and argue, he had a feeling he'd lose in seconds. "Fine...you win."

The wolf smirked and crossed his arms in satisfaction. "Awesome. Now cmon, Mister Nick, I believe there is a home of yours I'll be sleeping in tonight."

"...then we can discuss the case more tomorrow. You'll be my right hand man." Nick chuckled. Might as well make the kid happy. "Sound good to you?" he asked, standing up.

Zerrith nodded, jumping to his feet. "Anywhere is better than that dump!"

The fox snorted as they left the building. "I wouldn't count on it."

* * *

 _"Mi casa es tu casa,"_ Nick announced, gesturing grandly around his place.

Zerrith leaned around him to get a better look. "This is it?"

The fox smirked down. "Yep. This is it." He wrenched his keys from the grip of his door and started in out of the relative cool of the night. "Mind the buc-"

A loud slosh and an irritated growl signaled he had issued the warning too late. Zer slowly lifted a paw from a water-filled tea kettle, cringing up at him. "S-Sorry..."

Nick sighed and chuckled. "Just wipe it on the carpet. It's fine."

The boy did as told and strolled into the room, ducking under a pipe. "Hm...heh, it's like a jungle gym in here!"

"Huh? What're you- HEY!" Nick quickly dashed over to stop the boy from clambering around the pipes like they were ladders or monkey bars, but failed to avoid a nearby, nearly full bucket.

His foot collided with the too-heavy-to-move object and he growled in pain, stumbling back into another bucket, which he knocked over and spilled the water onto the floor, falling back into the puddle in the process.

All the boy did was laugh, enjoying the sight from his perch on a pipe that ran close to the ceiling.

Nick slowly sat upright and glared at the boy. " _Down._ "

"Psh," the wolf breathed through his teeth. He spun around and swung down, hanging from the pipe before dropping to the floor. "You're no fun!"

"Yeah, you know what's _really_ not fun?" the fox grumbled, standing from the puddle. "Paying for pipe repairs because you broke something."

Zerrith frowned. "Sorry..."

Nick patted the back of his clothing and sighed as he found it damp. "I'm gonna go change." He ducked and climbed over things. "Don't break anything!" the fox shouted back.

"Why would I?" The wolf sighed and glanced around.

There was a potted plant, surprisingly healthy, wedged between two pipes. A few dirty shirts were scattered here and there. Numerous posters - or rather, hurriedly printed papers, were stuck up on the wall, saying motivational phrases. And the buckets, they were _everywhere_ , with water constantly dripping into them.

None of it phased him.

When Nick returned, the boy was happily sprawled out on the dry half of the carpet in the center of his room. "Uh...what're you doing?" The fox raised an eyebrow.

"Laying down." The boy smiled. "Duh."

"...On my floor?" Nick questioned.

"Well there isn't anywhere else to sit," he rolled his eyes.

The fox looked around; he was right. The most pleasant place to sit was his dresser-bed, and even that was questionably comfortable. It suddenly occurred to him that he didn't even plan far enough ahead to get the boy somewhere to sleep tonight. He'd honestly be better off in that hellhole of an orphanage at this point.

Still, the kid's constant smile unnerved him slightly. "You won't stop smiling. Why?"

"Cause I like it here!"

"...again, _why?_ " The fox sighed. "I mean, it's damp, cramped, hot, cruddy…"

"...but now it's got two people." The wolf smiled. "I'm not sleeping alone tonight."

Nick stared for a moment. Then he smiled and shook his head slowly. "You're a hopeless optimist, Fuzzball."

"Better than a pessimist!" Zer grinned.

"I rest my case," Nick rolled his eyes, then opened his drawer and pulled out some pillows.

The boy furrowed his brow. "You keep your pillows in a dresser?"

The fox stopped, clenching the cushion slightly. For a moment, he turned over some lies and stories in his head, trying to figure out what to tell him. But he had to know at some point. Nick sighed. "No. I...sleep in it," he mumbled.

"...it's probably more comfortable than the orphanage beds." He chuckled and held his hands up to catch a pillow that flew his way.

"Nah, real beds are where it's at."

"Cept I don't sleep in a 'real bed', I pretty much sleep on a rock." Zer sighed and laid his head on the soft pillow.

"Sheesh." Nick tried his best to lay comfortably in his "bed". "Ever complain about it?"

"We aren't allowed to complain." The wolf shrugged. "The staff says we 'get what we get and we don't get upset', which is so stupid. They abuse that phrase just to give us crap."

"That...is not right."

"No it's not."

The two lay in silence for a while.

"...I'm close to clocking out. You?" The boy spoke up.

"Heh, same." Nick lied.

"I'll see ya tomorrow then." The silence that followed indicated that Zer had fallen asleep.

Nick watched the boy for a moment before he stared out the one window visible from his bed - one that was askew and permanently stuck halfway open. The sound of cars whispered outside and a lone police siren cired into the night; against his better judgement, he thought about what had happened this past week. These past _days,_ even.

He remembered the person he'd seen walking away remorselessly from his near-murdered friend. How they looked so familiar, but couldn't be who he thought. There was no way. He couldn't help but remember an important place. If he wanted to, he could go down there right now.

 _"Unbelievably stupid,"_ Bogo huffed in the back of his mind.

It was, wasn't it? He'd promised Judy.

Nick curled up in his bed, but his eyes didn't close; he wouldn't be sleeping tonight.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**


	6. 6 - Full Circle

" _ **A Zootopia Story: Outfoxed**_ "

 **By ZangooseMiner and STT**

 **Chapter 6: "** **Full Circle** "

* * *

Nick yawned constantly, and his eyes were stinging. Yet, he wasn't even tired.

He stared up at his pipe littered ceiling, the noise from outside drowned out by his thoughts, leaving him in an uncomfortable state of silence. However, it wasn't the sound of cars he was focused on, but the quiet, steady breathing of the young wolf curled up on the floor. Nick sat and listened to him until he was content he was asleep, then ever-so-carefully stepped from his bed to the floor.

Grabbing his cruiser keys and uniform, he quietly exited his "room" into the hall, threw his uniform on and sprinted down the walkway into the old elevator. He'd be back before the boy woke up, never to know he was gone. Once he was outside of the hotel, he ran down the street towards the tram station. He was ready to get back to work.

Well, _sort of_ work. Bogo _did_ technically tell him to stay home, and he _technically_ never clocked in, so he was _technically_ still off-duty. Technically. It would be fine.

The fox padded down a long flight of stairs and to the main level of the district, making a beeline for the tram station. Normally this place would be a gauntlet of larger mammals trying to butt their ways to the boarding area, but tonight there was no one more than a bored-looking antelope and some sort of small rodent. Nick checked his watch and winced; it was far past midnight. Then he yawned, before quickly rubbing his stinging eyes. He was not about to let sleep overtake him.

He boarded the first tram he could, thankfully entering one that wasn't too crowded. He stiffened himself as he stood, as to further refrain from collapsing on the spot. Nick was finding it harder and harder to retain his usual composure with the lull of sleep constantly against him. The fox pulled out his phone and continued to keep an eye on the time, though every passing minute made him all the more tired.

Artificial rain began to shower down from sprinklers high up in the canopy, drizzling over the glass roof of the train. Nick stared up at the drops crawling across the surface until the dark form of a tunnel swiped them away, replacing the deep green trees and fog with the dark blue sky of Central Zootopia. It was never dim enough in the city to see the stars, what with the lights always on. The fox let out a sigh as the tram came to a stop, multiple-sized doors sliding open with cheery tones.

Nick groaned and slowly sauntered out of the tram and out of the station. He smiled to himself as he remembered he'd at least be able to use his cruiser now. He circled the small ring of keys around his index finger and chuckled, stuffing them back in his pocket as he walked towards the station.

The fox entered the station's garage and smirked as he clicked his cruiser key, unlocking the door. He slid into his seat and turned the key into the ignition.

Stepping on the gas, however, produced no forward momentum.

The fox's smirk fell from his face as he stopped his car in confusion. He got out of the car and looked around for any source to the problem.

He grimaced at the sight of a yellow clamp around his back tire and axle. His cruiser was booted.

"Son of a…" Nick shook his head and placed a hand to his temple. Chief Buffalo Butt must've done this.

The fox tried to pry the metal clamp off, but it seemed to be locked tight. Nick groaned loudly and put a palm to his face, breathing slowly. This was not his day. Night. Whichever.

His eyes stung once more, his legs feeling a little weaker from having ventured all the way over here. "Fine," he spat under his breath to whoever was running this joke of a day. "Fine! Have it your way! You win!" Nick shouted at the sky.

A small whirring sound came from behind, barely getting the fox's attention. A small car rolled into a parking spot, driven by an elderly goat woman. "Car" was a generous term. It looked just like the tiny Jokemobile Judy used to drive back when he first met her.

A wave of sadness hit him as he remembered his friend's sorry state. He would get this guy. He promised.

The cart driver cranked the vehicle to a halt before taking the keys out of the ignition...and sticking them behind the sun shade above her. Nick watched with a mixture of disbelief and confusion as the woman hobbled out of the car and slouched away to the front door. Did...did she not see him? Did she leave them there on purpose for him? He glanced at the car, then the door, then the car again.

He was already in the Jokemobile Mark II before he knew it. He grabbed the keys and stuck them in the ignition, then started the car. Nick gripped the wheel with determination, smirking as he pressed his foot down on the gas pedal.

His smirk slowly faded as he remembered the incredibly slow startup to the car.

Nick was almost ready to curse under his breath before the car shot forward. He yelped in surprise and slammed on the break before he could crash into the wall. Carefully, the fox slowly backed up, turned, and drove out of the garage, gaining control over the speed of the car.

Finally, it was time for the action part of this night.

* * *

Nick's cart slowed to a halt by a dumpster as he got a good look at the place he was about to enter. A large storage warehouse loomed over him, metal siding long since rusted and some fallen off entirely; it was all too familiar. He and his friends from way back had spent many nights planning in this place when he was doing more...questionably legal activities.

He swallowed and stopped the engine, slipping the key back behind the shade where he found it and stepping out onto the crumbling asphalt. If he was right - and part of him hoped he wasn't - this would be where the culprit was.

Nick crept towards the building and backed against the wall, sidling along to glance through the door; it was too dark to see anything, even with his night vision. Of course it was, there were never any light sources in here other than those they brought with them.

The fox took a deep breath as if he were about to dive into water; now or never. He charged into the blackness.

Then he stopped, before cautiously walking forward. Not only did he want to not trip over anything and give away his position, but he needed to think about what he was going to do.

What if he actually found him here? What then?

The partially ajar door provided little external light, though it was enough to make Nick's night vision less hazy. The long hall ahead of him was rather old and dirty, with a few bent shelves and a tipped over bureau near the back. Papers scattered the left side of the floor primarily, and along the parallel walls were six open entryways into other rooms, three on each side, with a wooden door at the end. The plaster on the ceiling had numerous stains, and the wall paint chipped in many spots.

What a shitty building, a cliche hiding spot for a villain. Typical.

The fox apprehensively approached the door at the end, jiggling the knob; it didn't budge. With a sigh, he backed up…

And slammed right into someone.

Nick let out a loud gasp and lept forward, spinning around to see who it was. A beam of light shone in his face, blinding him for a moment before it tilted away. Looking up, he was met with the face of-

"Wolfmeyer?" the fox said incredulously, with a bit of relief. The wolf stared down at him, lowering his flashlight. "W-What are you doing here?"

The officer squinted at him. "Bogo sent me to check the place out."

Check the place out? So he knew? How come Bogo fought to keep him away from it?

Then the question came. "What are _you_ doing here, Wilde? I thought Chief sent you home."

Nick stiffened, hoping it was invisible in the darkness. "Ah, uh...well, Bogo sent me too," he effortlessly fabricated.

"Why would he send someone with such a personal attachment to the case?" The wolf crossed his arms.

Nick shivered slightly. "I've...set aside my personal connections for now. This is just a case to me, nothing more."

"You sure?"

"Y-Yeah." He nodded, before smirking. "I'm your backup, maybe ol' Buffalo Butt thinks you're too incompetent."

Wolfmeyer growled slightly. "Very funny. Come on."

The officer gestured down one of the doors and started through, Nick following closely behind for fear of getting lost. He'd never liked Wolfmeyer; the fox had gotten him to howl once in front of everyone and the wolf never forgave him, taking every opportunity to avoid, or worse, get back at him. Pens in his coffee, "accidentally" knocking papers of his over. Talk about holding a grudge.

Nick's eyes adjusted and he looked down the wolf; he wasn't in uniform, wearing a black coat instead. He noticed what looked like a tranquilizer gun on his belt. "Funny looking outfit there," he noted quietly.

Wolfmeyer furrowed his brow. "It's undercover," he answered over his shoulder. "Uniform isn't exactly sneaky."

"Neither is a costume from the _Maretrix,_ " he sneered, earning an irritated grunt from his guide.

"Can it, fox."

Nick shrugged the slur off, he was used to the name by now. He glanced around at the environment, but it had little more to offer than piles of moldy boxes. The fox investigated the area alongside the wolf, momentarily splitting off and looking behind boxes, and inside a few open ones.

As he turned a corner of the containers, he bumped into something- or rather, someone.

"Oof!" Nick stumbled back. "Deja vu...Wolfmeyer, we've got to stop running into each other like...this…?"

The fox looked up...and up...and up...to lock eyes with a tall, hulking bear.

His blood ran down his skin, needles prickling over him. "Cheese and crackers..." he squeaked in terror.

It was the very bear from the clips, the one in his hallucination. He growled so deeply Nick could feel it rattling his teeth.

"Wolfmeyer! Trank him!" he shouted, not daring to move.

A loud _bam_ of a gunshot rang through the room.

The fox slowly stepped back after a moment, before his body stiffened. He tried to keep upright, but fell face-first into the concrete. The fox's eyes slowly closed, the room seeming to get even darker, if it were possible, before it finally went black.

A thin, red dark stuck out from the back of his neck.

* * *

Nick's eyes slowly and painfully cracked open. He could hardly see, and what he could make out was blurred beyond recognition. His whole body felt like it was melting, and his face was sore.

" _Some party,"_ he thought to himself.

He tried to stand, but found that he wasn't sitting in the first place. Instead he was limply hanging forward by the arms, which seemed to be tied behind him. Odd.

Very odd.

And very not good.

His eyes snapped open as he regained his senses. He was tied up. Nick struggled but found he was restrained, his arms tied behind his back over a large pipe. He could do little more than wriggle and move his legs.

"Come on, come on..." he growled, pulling as hard as he could. The fox looked down himself; his uniform shirt had been removed, leaving him in a white tee. His equipment was gone too.

Nick breathed and tried to compose himself. " _Cool it. We can do this."_

"Just stop, Wilde," a voice spoke across the room, breaking his thoughts.

His head snapped up to look for the speaker; Wolfmeyer stood in the corner, checking his watch.

"You aren't getting out."

The fox snarled. "I should've known this was you. You wolves are loyal to whoever pays most."

Wolfmeyer scowled. "Shut up! You don't know _nothin'!_ " he barked. "I did this cause I _had to!_ "

He was getting mad. Good. Then he could make him do something stupid. "I know more than _you,_ at least," he huffed. "They had to create negative IQ just to record yours."

The wolf set something down hard on the table and slowly approached. "You might wanna shut up, _fox,_ " he spat.

"Can't, it's a condition triggered by the presence of stupid people," Nick smiled. "Although I think calling you stupid is a little _too_ generous. It's a bit of an insult to stupid people everywhere, too."

The wolf glared and stepped closer. Just a bit more.

"Did your mom drop you on your head or somethin'?"

"Don't project your issues onto me."

A hand shot out and grabbed him by the face uncomfortably. Nick forced down a grunt. "You've gotta be real stupid to pull that in your position."

"That's funny coming from you," Nick got out past his restrained mouth. "You're about as sharp as a bowling ball."

The wolf's face hardened. "I never liked you, Wilde," he growled. "Never liked any fox, but I hate you the most."

"Love you too, Wolfy," Nick chuckled.

Wolfmeyer released him and snorted, straightening his jacket. He suddenly seemed less angry. "Make fun all you want, see if I care. Won't matter to me after tonight."

After tonight? What was so special about tonight?

"Yeah, why's that?" he scoffed indifferently.

"Cause I'll be outta town, and you..." The wolf chuckled. "Let's just say you won't be selling those popsicles anymore."

The fox's heart skipped a beat. He tried to mask his fear. "Wow, that was clever. How long did it take you to come up with that one?"

Wolfmeyer shook his head and picked something up off the floor. "Just keep talking, Wilde. Anything to boost your ego."

"It'd be hard to do that," a new voice called from the dark, resonating around the room.

Nick's fur stood on end. He knew that voice. It wasn't low, but had depth. A slight rasp as if parched.

"His self-esteem is already at lethal levels."

Wolfmeyer glanced at Nick and chuckled. "Old friend?"

A dark red-furred foot stepped from the shadows, into the circle of dim light cast from the lone bulb overhead. Then another. Sharp claws clicked on the concrete like knives. But that wasn't what made Nick's breath catch in his throat.

A small, steady green light glowed from the dark like the eye of some beast, bobbing closer until it summoned its owner's face from the black.

A fox.

"Hey there, Nicky." The familiar face grinned, sharp teeth glinting through thick black lips.

Nick didn't answer. He couldn't.

The other fox smirked. "What, no hello for your best friend in the whole world?" He chucked and looked down his captive. "I didn't think we'd grow apart so fa-"

"You should be in jail, _Jason._ " Nick said curtly.

The larger fox stared at him with dark-ringed eyes for a moment, mouth hanging open midsentence. The light on his collar momentarily went a lighter green. He closed his maw, letting out a breath of a laugh. "Should I."

"You should have been given the death sentence for the stuff you did," Nick growled. "If someone didn't shoot you in the head first. Be glad you only got that...thing on you."

Jason watched for a long time. "Yeah. Real lucky, huh?" Another grin. "Runs in the species I guess."

"You don't look too lucky to me, Tamer." Nick looked over the fox, noticing the long scars on his bare underbelly. "What, did you lose a fight with a lawnmower?"

"Prison is full of funny people, Nicky," the fox chuckled. "Thieves...backstabbers..." he listed, pacing over to Wolfmeyer, who seemed to be enjoying the situation. "Traitors."

Nick's eyebrows lowered.

"Loyalty is a weak thing, I've found." Jason gestured to the wolf, who set a suitcase up on the table. "It can be broken. Betrayed. Bought."

"Get off your highhorse, Jason," Nick spat. "Don't act like some moral center. You know what you did was wrong. You're lucky you got stopped before you went too far."

"Lucky." Jason seemed to gnaw on the word for a bit. "Lucky, lucky, that word again."

Nick squinted. Jason was always strange, but he was just acting plain bizarre.

The fox handed Wolfmeyer something and nodded. The wolf grinned and backed from the room.

"Bye-bye, Nicky." He seemed pleased with himself. "Wish you could come along. I hear Purrsia is gorgeous this time of year."

Nick snarled. "You won't get away with it, Wolfmeyer."

He was already gone, waving over his shoulder as he disappeared into the darkness.

"You're not wrong," Jason smiled, turning back and staring holes right into him.

A sickening, squelching crunch and a yip sounded from the dark; Nick's blood went icy.

Jason didn't even move, his grin only widened. "He isn't going anywhere."

* * *

Nick sat in near silence, excluding the tiny sparking sounds from whatever Jason was toying with across the room. His arms were starting to get tired from dangling from them so long, and he shifted uncomfortably. The fox slowly glanced up to the mountainous bear towering over him.

Speaking of uncomfortable.

Nick glanced down at the monster's huge hands; red stains ran up the length of his arms, glistening in his fur. The ursal beast let out a low rumble before Nick lost his nerve and looked elsewhere.

Unfortunately, that elsewhere was a large crate in a corner, a mangled, grey-furred arm dangling limply from it. Shivers went down his spine. He didn't know what the bear did to Wolfmeyer, but if they had to pour him into a container afterwards, he wasn't sure he wanted to find out.

A rather loud spark and clang of metal sounded in the darkness. "Grah! Dammit!" Jason barked, clutching his neck.

Nick chuckled softly. That fox's pain, no matter how small, was pleasant to his ears.

After some time, he let out a heavy sigh and weakly looked up to lock eyes with the bear. "Hey, Beary McThickhead, what time is it?"

The bear in question stared back with the blank scowl that his face seemed to be stuck in.

Nick dropped his head back down. It was probably hopeless to get an answer to anything out of the idiot. But he really needed to know the time.

He needed to somehow _escape_.

There was still the wolf who was asleep in his apartment. Who knows what would happen once he realized the fox was gone? What would he do? If he went to the police, what would they say? Would they find him? Then what?

Nick's head ached from questions. Everything was so screwed up, and he only had himself to blame for getting caught. That fox would probably kill him tonight, and the worst part was knowing he'd get away with it too. He always did.

He let Judy down.

"Alright, perfect!" The satisfaction in Jason's voice made Nick grimace distastefully. He watched the crooked fox stumble over with a wide grin, a grin of general excitement more than anything.

He had something in his hands. Something slender, black and shiny. A blue ring of light shone from a small square. Nick glared. "What's that, some high-tech slap bracelet?"

Jason chuckled. "Joke all you want, Nicky." He held it up to the fox's face. "You won't be for much longer."

The cold metal device was pressed against his skin through his fur. A high-pitched whir was accompanied by a tight feeling around his neck. Nick gasped as his throat was strained. "The heck…?"

"You said I was lucky to have this collar, Nick," Jason said, gesturing to the metal block locked to his own neck by a black strap. He grinned and chuckled. "Well it seems it's finally your lucky day."

A high-pitched beep came, the blue light going green. Nick's eyes went wide. "No, no, no. No, what did you do!?" he shouted.

With another beep, the light went orange. His voice caught in his throat as a pain-filled shock was sent up his spine.

"Gauch!" he strained.

"Haha!" Jason let out a raspy laugh and clapped once. "Oh, man. Won't your bunny be happy to see you now!"

Nick snarled. "Jason, I swear. If you lay one hand on her I'll-!"

Another beep. Another, stronger shock.

"Argh!" he growled through grit teeth, back arching.

Jason laughed even louder, earning a small zap himself. He stifled his chuckles. "Okay, okay. Lemme tell you how this works." The fox came closer. "You get mad, you get zapped. You get sad, you get zapped. You get happy? Zapped." He looked serious. "Every feeling, every emotion... _punished._ "

Nick's heart was racing, his neck still stinging. He tried to balance his mind.

Jason leaned in close, his nose almost touching Nick's. "How lucky are you now, Slick Nick?"

"I hate you," the fox answered as calmly as possible; a tiny shock still went off.

A hand shot out and clamped to Nick's neck, restricting his breathing. Claws pressed in painfully. "You don't _know_ hate," Jason snarled. "Eight years. _Eight fucking years_ I've been _stuck_ with this 'Tame Collar.'"

Nick struggled to breathe, little zaps stealing what little air he caught.

Jason's face pressed right into his. "I don't _feel_ tame, Wilde. Do I look _tame_ to you?"

The bigger fox winced in pain as his collar glowed dark orange, body jolting with a guttural grunt. He released Nick, the fox gasping for breath.

"Careful there, Jase," Nick started as soon as he could speak. "That thing on your neck, it shocks you y'know."

His captor snorted, looking over his shoulder. "Still a smartass."

Nick glared. "Let me go Jason. I could get you a shorter sentence at least."

"And still a lying scam artist," Jason growled, turning back around with something else balled up in one hand. "Promises, promises."

Nick's face darkened. Jason wasn't going to let himself get fooled as easily as anyone else. "Here's a promise: you're going back to jail for a long time."

"You really don't shut your mouth, do you?" Jason snarled, approaching again. "Don't worry. I can fix that."

Straps went around Nick's head. His eyes went wide as he realized what was happening. "N-No, wait." A metal structure went over his snout. "No no, please! Wait! Not that!" Nick shouted before his mouth was pressed shut by the muzzle. "Grph!"

A shock came.

His heart rate went so high he saw stars. Images he'd pushed away for so long came back before his eyes.

Another, harder shock.

Voices mocked him. Laughed.

A shock so powerful it knocked his breath out of his lungs.

Jason's grinning face momentarily showed through the flurry of feelings.

"Aw," he pouted.

A shock like lightning down his skeleton. His vision blurred and darkened.

"Is he gonna cry?"

* * *

"Urk!" Jason yelped, clutching his neck and stumbling forward.

Nick dashed over to catch him. "Hey, easy there buddy," he warned. "Don't get worked up."

Jason grunted and coughed a bit, before chuckling as he regained his balance. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Don't get worked up over _me_."

Nick rolled his eyes and still kept a close watch on his partner. "So _why_ did you drag me out here at six in the morning?"

Jason sat on a box and sighed. "I'm sick of this thing, Nick," he started. "Every night, every day, it's just a constant thing in the back of my mind."

Nick furrowed his brow. "What thing?"

"This _collar,_ " the bigger fox hissed. "It never stops. I just _waits_ for me to fuck up and the-"

He choked as a shock came along with a beep.

"That..." he muttered.

Nick pursed his lips and glanced away. "And?"

"I'm gonna get rid of it, Nicky." He grinned. "The cops, they have these...keys. They just pop it in and the collar comes right off."

"The cops," Nick snorted. "You're going to rob... _the cops._ "

"Ehh...more or less, given the plan." Jason shrugged with a grin.

"You know robbing the _cops_ is kind of, sort of... _near impossible_ , right?" Nick crossed his arms. Jason couldn't really be serious about this, right? "Can't you just kinda smash the chip, then break it off?"

Jason simply turned his head to look at Nick before he began laughing, though another shock silenced him. "G-Gah…! Eheh, Nicky, you're the funniest damn guy I've ever met."

"...what exactly is funny about that?"

"Don't you know the science of these things?" The bigger fox pointed to his collar.

"Didn't think _you_ did." Nick sneered.

Jason rolled his eyes. "They tell ya that you can kiss your pretty little ass goodnight if you break these things. It's programmed to send a high voltage circuit of energy into the idiot wearing it to stop their heart."

Nick's ears flopped back. "O-Oh...what, doesn't the thing...run outta batteries?"

His friend shook his head. "Charges off your body, plus it just recycles the power it uses to zap you." He sighed. "Look, Nick. I've researched this, and there's no way out." He glanced up. "Unless you wanna help me."

"Help you?" Nick sighed. "Look, I'd like to, but what if we both get caught? I'm screwed out of a normal life, thanks to your dumbass."

"Well my dumbass will keep us from getting caught, don't you worry." Jason chuckled and placed his hands on Nick's shoulder.

"What did you have in mind, then?"

* * *

Nick sat by the water fountain, a cup of coffee in one hand, phone in the other. Sunglasses shaded his eyes as he glanced around. Just up the clearing was the ZPD Headquarters, a hulking structure looking over the area. He looked back to his phone.

"Where are you?" the text he'd sent read. He had yet to receive a response.

Nick sighed. Jason was a great planner, but when it came to time he never showed up less than half an hour late.

Suddenly, a familiar sound came; he looked behind to see a bright green van back into the commons area, blowing smoke like a campfire and backfiring a few times. Nick furrowed his brow; that was more conspicuous than he anticipated.

The vehicle came to a stop, the back doors flying open. Nick pocketed his phone and took a sip of his coffee, walking casually towards it.

Jason's rear came first, severed stub of a tail protruding from the base of his spine. The fox stepped down and immediately spun around, typical grin on his face. "Here ya go, Nicky."

Nick took what was handed to him: a gas mask? He looked up, taking his shades off. "Uh, what's this for?" He chuckled confusedly. "You didn't have chili again, did you?"

The other fox slipped his own on. That wasn't the only new article he was wearing, however. Jason was suited head to toe in what looked like body armor.

"Uh...Jason?"

The fox looked up. "Hm?" he said, his voice muffled by the armor.

"I-I thought we were sneaking in...not busting a wall down or something."

Jason chuckled and pulled his mask up. He picked something up and handed it to his friend. "We are sneaking in."

Nick looked down at the heavy can he'd been handed. His coffee slipped from his grasp, splattering across the ground.

Across the can was a picture of a skull with the words "WARNING: FATAL IF INHALED."

The fox's head snapped up.

"No one's going to see us at all," his partner chuckled.

"Jason?"

"Hm?"

"What the _fuck_ is this?"

"A spilled coffee." Jason chuckled. "Poison gas, dummy. What else would be fatal if inhaled?"

Nick stared at the can with a horrified stare. Jason was going to...to... _kill_ people. Yeah, the guy could be a little over the edge, but he had never resorted to killing anyone.

"Jason?"

"That's my name, don't wear it out," the fox called from inside the van.

"I'm not doing this."

Jason stopped. Then he slowly got out of the vehicle, looking right at Nick. "Come again?"

"I'm _not_ doing this," the fox repeated, shoving the can into his friend's chest. "And neither are you."

Jason stared for a moment. "Oh." A tiny zap went through the air as he winced. " _Oh."_

Nick swallowed, steeling himself.. "Jase, put this stuff back."

The fox took the can in one hand. "That's okay..." He turned, starting back to the doors. Suddenly he swung around, catching Nick in the jaw with the canister. "You keep it!"

Nick's eyes widened for a second, and he barely had any reaction time before he was sent back, blood flying from his jaw as he collapsed to the ground. As he sat back up and rubbed the blood from his lips and chin, Nick opened his eyes to see a boot coming down on his face. The kick to his temple dazed him, hurling his head back. The back of his head collided with the pavement, severely blurring his vision.

"Wow," Jason huffed. "Wow. Just when I thought someone _really_ believed in me!" The fox tossed the gas back into the van. "You come along and _screw it up!_ "

Nick propped himself up on one elbow, trying his hardest to keep the maddened fox from seeing his cell phone. He dazedly tapped in 9-1-1…

A woman came over the phone. "9-1-1, what's your emer-"

He was grabbed by the scruff of his neck and hurled through the air, slamming right into the fountain's edge. He let out a yelp of pain and groaned.

"Don't you dare, you little shit." Jason lifted his boot and stomped down on Nick's phone, crushing the flimsy device into pieces. "How's that for a '9-1-1' call?"

Nick painfully watched his device be crushed. His last chance to stop his friend from killing so many innocents. So many people who worked to save lives.

And now, even his own life was probably about to abruptly end.

Jason slowly lumbered over, face contorting in pain with a shock. "I trusted you. I thought you wanted to _help_ me!"

Nick staggered to his feet. He heard the rushing water behind him. "I am helping you, Jason."

"Bullshit!" the fox roared, charging full speed at Nick.

His target hopped to the side, leg outstretched…

Jason tumbled over the edge of the fountain.

The bigger fox yelped as he fell, colliding with the water and creating a large splash. In less than half a second, his collar vibrated and sparked, the light blinking white before dimming. It vibrated heavily before sending a series of strong electrical shocks into the fox's body. Jason shrieked and spasmed about in the water, unable to get out and escape the seemingly ceaseless pain.

Nick couldn't break away from the sight, face locked in a wince.

Jason weakly reached out for Nick before his hand fell limp, dangling over the edge of the fountain. The powerful shocks knocked him unconscious.

Nick panted, wiping sweat from his forehead. He slowly and painfully pulled himself to his feet, leaning on a lamppost to keep balanced. It was over. What was over? A lot of things. Jason's insane plan. Their friendship no doubt.

The sound of police sirens nearby brought him to a stop. They would find Jason. Take him to prison for what he was going to do. Nick looked at the knocked-out fox floating in the water. He pursed his lips; maybe that was the best thing.

He backed away slowly, then jogged, before turning around and starting a full sprint from the scene.

A lot of things were over.

Jason was one of them.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**


	7. 7 - Redux

" _ **A Zootopia Story: Outfoxed**_ "

 **By ZangooseMiner and STT**

 **Chapter 7: "** **Redux** "

* * *

The door to Nick's apartment closed with the care of a feather on a blanket, but to Zerrith's keen ears, it was like a gunshot. As soon as he was sure the fox was gone, he sat bolt upright in his makeshift bed. The wolf sprang to his feet, taking a nervous breath. Where was Nick off to in the middle of the night? And without telling him? The boy dashed to the door and gently opened it again, checking down the hall.

Nick quietly padded towards the elevator, clad in his police uniform. Wasn't he on mandatory break? Zer didn't like this at all. He waited for the elevator door to close and completely cut the line of sight between the two, before he made a beeline down the hall for the stairwell. The wolf went down numerous flights before pressing himself up against a wall at the bottom landing, as to not step out into the open in the lobby and be spotted by the fox.

He peeked out and saw the fox's tail fly out the entrance of the hotel. Just where was he going?

The moment Zerrith stepped out into the cold, brisky night, he felt terrified. He was just a child, following around an officer of the law while trying to remain hidden. He felt alone.

And he was. He had to be right now. He had to get answers on what the hell this fox thought he was doing. Without any further reluctance, the wolf dove behind some shrubbery and crept alongside the fox, following him to the tram station.

Now came the hard part.

Zer ducked behind a short decorative wall nearby, peering over. Nick stood on the near-empty boarding platform, yawning and shifting stiffly, then checking his watch. He didn't seem to think Zer was anywhere nearby.

Soon, the public transport slid to a whining halt, the doors quietly shifting open. Nick entered, taking hold of a strap hanging down. This was Zerrith's last chance. He made a mad dash for the biggest door, sliding underneath one of the elephant-sized seats. He spared another peek at his target; still unaware. The doors slid closed, and the tram started towards its next destination.

The wolf faced similar circumstances at the unboarding, but remained undetected. He followed Nick as he walked a seemingly random path through downtown, eventually ending up at a garage on the side of the Police HQ. Work? Was he free from his forced vacation?

The next few events seemed to indicate otherwise.

A car pulled in, a cruddy looking small vehicle, and after a few minutes, that very car pulled out, driven by Nick. Before the wolf could act, the car sped off down the road.

Nick was out of view before he knew it.

The wolf plopped himself on the sidewalk and sighed in defeat. He followed him all the way out here, only to watch him speed off somewhere in a shitmobile police car. He sat there for a long few minutes, watching cars go by. He guessed there was nothing to do but make his way back and pretend he was home the whole time.

Just as he stood, one car in particular sped past, screeching to a halt. The wolf stiffened at the event. The red van's back lights came on, and the vehicle slowly reversed until it's driver could be seen.

The window lowered slowly until a small fennec fox's head could be seen. The driver leaned out and eyed the kid up and down.

Zer blinked. "Uh...h-hi…?"

"Thought I recognized ya." The fennec said, his voice a deep baritone. "You're that kid following Nick."

"Uh, yeah…" Zer raised an eyebrow. "How did you-?"

"What're you doing out here and where's that fox at?"

"Oh, uh...he just up and left in the middle of the night." Zerrith explained. "He had his police uniform on and he kinda just...took a car. But he was supposed to be off duty. So I followed him until, well...you know."

The fox stared for a moment, eyes wide in anger, until his face turned into a scowl. "Get in."

"W-What?"

"I said get in," he repeated. "Im'ma go find that fox and beat his as-" The fox stopped. "Butt."

Zer shrugged. "Make that two who wanna whoop his ass."

The fennec stared with wide eyes for a moment before he laughed a bit. "Kid, I like you already. Hop in shotgun."

The wolf dashed around the vehicle and clambered up to the passenger side. The first thing he noticed - other than the dull smell of a dead animal - was the abundance of red fur littering the seat.

"Ugh, I take it he rides with you a lot," Zer grimaced.

"If you look carefully, the hair spells 'Nick was here,'" the fox remarked sarcastically. "Finnick."

"Zerrith." The wolf replied. "Okay, so now I know you actually know him and I don't have to assume you're some kind of...pedophilic leprechaun or something."

"Boy, best not make assumptions with me." Finnick glared.

The wolf leaned away. "I-I hear you…"

"Anyways, you see which way Nick went?"

"Yeah, he went down that way and made a right." Zerrith pointed. "Any clue where that goes?"

The fox pursed his lips and slowly shook his head. "Nope. Don't know what would make him rob a car and sh-" Finnick stopped. Then he growled, shifting gears. "That stupid-ass son of a...he really went after him."

Zer held on as the car swerved in place and started forward. "After who?

"Let's just say..." Fin started grimly. "If we don't find him first, he ain't gonna have an ass to kick."

* * *

The dingy red van slowed to a stop outside of a large building, a warehouse it looked like. Finnick kept the van concealed in the shadows, parking the van quietly around the side of the building. He slowly unbuckled and sighed.

"Alright kid, we gotta be real quiet. Unbuckle and make room, we're both going out that door."

"What? Why mine? You've got your own."

"Just shut it and do what I say or that redheaded dumbass won't see the sunlight." Finnick glared.

Zer whimpered slightly and carefully unbuckled, then climbed out of the passenger door, Finnick following. "What was that for?"

"What makes less noise, two door slams, or one?"

The wolf thought for a moment. "...well, depending on the force use, it's the same volume, just a repetition of sound-"

"Don't get smart." Fin pressed a palm to his forehead. "Let's sneak around, stay pressed against the wall. We gotta keep an eye out for any movement, and we gotta stay hidden."

"Why? This warehouse is abandoned."

"We might not be the only ones here, kid. Now just-" The sound of footsteps made the fennec panic. He grabbed the wolf by the hand and pulled him back into the shadows, the two silently pressing themselves against the wall.

Zer began to sweat. He nervously peered out to see if he could locate the source of the footsteps, and saw a casually clothed wolf walk across the lot and enter the building.

Finnick looked out as well, just in time to catch the wolf's face before he entered. "Who the heck…?"

"Officer Wolfmeyer? Of the ZPD?" Zerrith blinked. "What the hell's he doing here? And out of uniform…?"

Finnick blinked. "How do you just know him by _name?!_ "

Zer ignored him and quickly whipped out his notebook, jotting down a few notes on a page. "This is suspicious...and if Nick's really here, I don't like the looks of this."

"The hell is a cop doin' snoopin' around at a place like this?" Finnick furrowed his brow. "Come on," he ordered, dragging the boy behind him.

The two snuck slowly into the pitch black warehouse, taking cover wherever they could to avoid being spotted. Zer leaned out and caught sight of a gray tail trailing into a side room. He gestured to the fox and the two sped to the door, peeking in. Fin guided them off another path, where they could still watch from the cover of darkness. They looked over a box…

And found Nick.

They both gasped at the sight of their friend tied to a pipe, shifting slightly. Finnick swore under his breath. "Moron. Fucking moron."

Wolfmeyer started talking, but he was too far to hear clearly. Who he was talking to couldn't be seen, nor heard, given the distance. Zerrith felt his heartbeat pick up. Not only was his friend held captive, but one slip up, and he and Finnick would be too.

And with what Finnick had been talking about, he was too afraid to lose his life to whoever had Nick in their possession.

After a while, the wolf barely held in a gasp as he watched the fox twitch. He was starting to awaken.

"Shit, moron's probably gonna make a dumb joke that'll get himself killed." Finnick grumbled under his breath.

"I can't hear anything they're saying." Zer whispered. "I can't even see who Nick and Doltmeyer are talking to."

Finnick simply watched them, before the wolf officer began to turn and walk away with a smirk. Quickly, the fennec pulled Zer back behind another box. The two watched, now completely out of sight, as the officer went to leave.

"Oh no, he's gonna get away…" Zer whispered.

Then the officer bumped into someone who entered the room, as he stumbled back. A large- _large_ bear entered the room, a deadpan, serious stare locked on Wolfmeyer. Then, before Zerrith and Finnick knew what was happening, the bear grabbed the officer by the arms, pinching his hands tightly between two fingers on his right hand. Wolfmeyer's voice caught in his throat as the crack of what was undoubtedly bones breaking came, and squirmed about as he was hoisted up from the ground. Then the bear turned him on his side to hold his waist with the left hand, now gripping the upper half of his body with his right.

Zer felt his breath pick up. What was happening? What was the bear going to do? He heard the muffled shouts from the trapped officer. What...what was going on?

Fin grabbed the back of the boy's shirt, fear evident in his voice. "Zer, don't-"

The bear's hands snapped quickly in opposite directions…

And twisted the wolf in half.

The muffled shouts were soon replaced by a muffled yip, then silence. A sickening snap made the boy jump. Soon, the tearing of cloth came, then the tearing of fur and flesh. Zerrith shuddered as he watched the bear's hands become redder, blood dripping from between the two fists and pattering onto the ground. The hands turned and turned, more blood sputtering out, before the hands pulled apart. The bear let the two halves fall to the concrete floor below.

Zer stared, unable to take his eyes away. The look on the deceased officer's face was a permanent look of anger and horror, but the main eye catcher, or moreover eye sore, was between the two halves; the heavy pool of the blood; shattered bits of bone from the spinal cord and ribcage; and the stretched, uncoiled intestine stretched between both halves of the body. Blood pooled out from each half, staining the floor.

Zer's breathing began to quicken more than it had that night. His eyes remained unblinking as he stared at the once living officer. He collapsed from his crouching position onto his knees back in the cover of the boxes, unable to fully comprehend what he just saw.

"H...H-He's…" The boy's voice wavered as his lips quivered.

Then he felt his hand be taken. He looked down.

Finnick looked at him softly. "Just...look away, kid. You don't have to look at it."

The fox had a look that told Zer this wasn't the worst he'd experienced. Zer simply nodded, keeping his eyes locked on Finnick until the boy was fully turned around. He sat crosslegged, staring at the wooden boxes. His breathing slowed until it was near normal. The boy struggled to stay calm, but did as Finnick told. He didn't need to look. He didn't need to.

As the bear stomped away, he could make out one sentence from the other person Nick had been talking to.

"He's not going anywhere."

* * *

The night dragged on, Nick and the other person talking. Laughing?

Zer shivered and hugged his knees to his chest; it was getting colder and colder in here, and the icy concrete wasn't helping. He glanced up at Finnick, who simply watched Nick from the shadows. How was he so calm?

A shout of pain came from the room, and Zer jumped up to see what was happening. He breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Nick, unharmed, smirking to himself.

Zer breathed and sat back down, shivering again. He was sure if it were bright enough, he could see his breath. "S-S-So..." he stuttered. "W-Who is this g-guy?"

Finnick glanced down. "Real fucked-up." He took in some air, then let it out. "Jason Tamer. He's the only one who would do this."

Zerrith squinted. "W-What do you mean?"

"It started about two weeks ago. Nick came to me. Said he got forced to take a break."

"Two weeks ago? That...that's when Judy got hit with a car!" Zerrith frowned.

"Yep, first his damn bunny squeeze gets her ass hit, then redhead goes and gets his ass in trouble…" Fin sighed. "I figured Nick would be all crazy over his girl getting hit, but then he got more obsessed over _who_ hit her. Said he already had an idea who did it. Moment he said Jason's name, though, I called him on his bluff.

"Jason's been in jail for eight years. He was arrested before he could gas the ZPD so he could steal keys to unlock that collar on his neck. Nick stopped him before he could do anything though. Saved tons of lives and got Jason's ass hauled off to the big house.

"I didn't believe him when he said Jason was the one who hit Judy, but...now I'm wondering how the hell he got out of jail, and what he plans on doing."

"...he's doing all this for revenge?" Zer shuddered. "He must be a really intricate bad guy for someone who seems so off their rocker…"

"No, no, he's never been this thorough with his schemes, according to Nick at least." Finnick shook his head.

Zerrith blinked. "Then...why is he being so detailed with taking revenge on Nick? Is revenge just his specialty or something?"

"Nope." Fin shook his head again. "It's cause Nick was his partner eight years ago."

That statement left Zer's blood cold. The boy stayed quiet, a shiver running down his spine as he imagined the image of Nick and some scraggly old fox, hand in hand, causing havoc everywhere they went.

"Nick wasn't like him," Finnick assured, seeming to read the boy's thoughts. "He'd never let Jason do anything rash, but...I always was suspicious of the guy. He always seemed to push the line of what was okay a little further." The fox shook his head. "Nick never saw that until it was almost too late."

Zerrith thought about what he said. So Jason had just used Nick, really. He never realized what he was getting into. That just made the wolf hate Jason even more.

"Oh, shit," Finnick growled, sitting up. "It _is_ him."

Zer looked over the boxes and gasped. Standing in the line of sight between them and Nick was another fox, wearing a red shirt and grey pants. He was taller than Nick, and much larger. His fur was a deeper red as well. The fox said something that the boy couldn't make out.

"How'd he get that?" Fin hissed.

Zer scanned the captor until he saw what he meant. There was something in Jason's hand, black and shiny, a blue ring glowing. "W-What's that?" he nervously asked.

Jason held the thing up to Nick, and a loud whir of a motor filled the air.

Finnick shook his head and came down from his box. "Zer, don't look."

The wolf didn't listen, instead watching as Nick's feet slid out from under him, the fox letting out a yelp of pain. Jason moved to the side, giving Zer a full view of the fox as he struggled and growled.

"What's it doing?"

"I said don't look," Fin growled, serious look on his face as he walked over.

Nick yelped again, wincing in pain. "What's it doing to him?" Zer demanded.

Fin stared at the boy before sighing. "He's...he's being shocked."

"...sh-shocked?"

"Shocked. Sparked. Electrocuted." Finnick crossed his arms.

"W-Well we have to help him! H-He could die! O-Or be scarred! O-Or worse, he could be-!"

The boy was silenced as he felt a slap across his face.

"Kid, _listen_." Finnick grabbed his shirt and pulled him close to his face. "I know you wanna help, I do too, but neither of us can do _shit_ right now. Okay?"

Zer silently nodded. "O-Okay…w-what _can_ we do, then?"

"We get out and you go report this to the police."

"M-Me? Why not the both-"

"Shhh." The fennec fox shushed him. "Let's just say if they saw my face, Tamer wouldn't be the only person going back to the big house."

"Okay...well…" The boy was unsure of what to say until another, louder, far more shrill scream made him wince. He was afraid for the trapped fox, he wished he could've done more right now.

"No, no!" he heard Nick shout. "Please!"

"Zer-!"

But the fennec was too late. Zerrith had already jumped up to see Jason putting the fox in a...a muzzle?

"Oh no..." Finnick gasped at the sight. "You fuck...you sick fuck..."

Zerrith was confused as to why the muzzle was so bad, until he saw Nick's eyes. The sheer panic and fear. His whole body jolted as the collar flashed orange. And again. And again. Each shock made the fox let out a muffled shriek and sag a little lower in his bonds.

Finnick finally tore himself away from the horrible sight and grabbed the boy, pulling him down. "You look at me!" he commanded. The boy's wide eyes were glazed with tears. "You _look_ at _me!_ Don't you _dare_ look up!"

Zerrith could hardly form words. "F-Finnick!" he sobbed. "H-He's gonna d-d-"

"No!" the fox yelled back. "Shut up and listen to me!"

Zer sniffled and nodded. "W...W-What…?"

"Just look at me." The fennec fox pulled the boy's ears down and pressed them against the sides of his head. "Just stay calm and look at me."

Zer nodded and squeezed his eyes shut. Things were harder to hear, he just imagined static. He tried to think of white noise to drown everything out. His body became still as he knelt calmly, the sound of nothing overtaking the horrified, chilling screams of agony erupting from the bound fox's strained throat.

The wolf calmed, and Fin let go of the boy once the screams were replaced with pants, followed by silence.

Zer looked up, seeing the fennec's worn face. He looked like he'd aged five years in the past few minutes, face grim. He stayed silent for a while.

"He's out," the fox said quietly.

Zer breathed a sigh, pulling his legs back to his body. "F-Finnick?"

"Hm." The fox wasn't looking at anything in particular.

A tear rolled down the boy's face. "I j-just want this to be over."

"I know." Finnick glanced down and let out a breath. "It will be soon."

* * *

"Hey, get up."

Zer turned his head to lock eyes with Finnick, his face tired and grim. "Huh…?"

"You were napping, which I guess is good." The fennec took his hand. "We gotta go before we get caught." He hoisted the boy up to his feet. "I don't know about you, but I don't feel like meeting Carebear up close."

Zer giggled, something that actually relieved Finnick. "Mr. Carebear wouldn't be so happy to see us."

"Damn right, now let's get outta here."

Finnick peered around the boxes. Nick was still out cold, and Jason was probably still over there, working on something to torment the fox with once he woke. Seeing as how untying him wasn't an option, the fennec reluctantly had to turn his back on his friend for the time being. He grabbed Zer's hand and turned to run for the exit

"Alright, we gotta stay quiet and get back to the-"

The moment he turned, he slammed straight into a thick, furry ankle.

Finnick's eyes closed; he didn't need to look to see who it was.

Zer, on the other hand, was doing quite the opposite, staring wide-eyed at the massive bear. "F-F-Fin...!"

"Zer?" Finnick started.

"W-What?"

" _Run!"_ the fox bellowed, dashing as fast as his legs would carry him from the bear.

The beasteal man roared in fury, charging after the two.

Zer was hardly even running, mostly just kicking at the ground to keep himself from sliding across it with the force of Finnick's speed. Crates and shelves blurred past until they came outside, moonlight barely illuminating the craggy ground. Next thing the boy knew, he was sitting in the passenger seat of Fin's van.

"Hold on!" the driver shouted, turning the key.

A sound came from the engine that was decidedly _not_ the vehicle starting.

"Oh, come on come on _come on!_ " Fin screamed, pounding the wheel.

To Zer's surprise, the bear came smashing right through a metal garage door, pieces flying everywhere. His eyes locked right on them. The boy's eyes widened in terror. He already felt tears welling. "I-I...I don't...h-hurry Fin, I-I don't wanna be torn in half!"

"Oh REALLY? I completely thought you-!"

The vehicle sped forward at breakneck speed, shooting towards Carebear. Zer held onto the dashboard as the van ran forward, slamming into the bear.

The beast let out a grunt and flew back a few feet, landing on his side.

Finnick growled, leaning out the window. "Hey! You'd better not have left a dent, you son of a bolder!"

The bear staggered to his feet, looking very unhappy. The car switched into reverse, speeding back onto the street just in time to avoid his massive claws. Fin shifted again and stomped on the gas, flying down the street like a red bullet towards the Police Headquarters.

* * *

"You're gonna have to slow down, son," Francine said calmly, holding out her hands.

Zerrith took in a deep breath. "Officer Nick Wilde. Is in danger. He's been kidnapped!"

The elephant shook her head. "No no no, Wilde's on temporary leave. He's probably at home."

The wolf growled in frustration. "No! He's not!"

"Young man, I don't appreciate such behavior. Calm down and listen; Officer Wilde is at home, okay? If you need his address, I can write it down, but don't yell at me saying he's been kidnapped, okay? The police don't like pranks or false claims."

Zer huffed and shook where he stood. He felt his hopes to help his friend be shattered.

Then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey Zer, what's got you shaken up? What's the commotion?"

Zer's head shot up, and he looked over his shoulder. "J-Judy?"

The rabbit smiled back at him, looking bright as ever. "Yeah. Where have you been?" She looked around. "Where's Nick?"

The boy suddenly threw his arms around Judy, hugging her tight. "Judy! Thank goodness! Someone smart!"

Francine let out a huff. "Hey!"

The bunny pried him off, looking down at him confusedly. "Zer, what's wrong?"

"It's Nick!" he shouted. "Th-That fox! The bad one! He took him! He's hurting him!"

Judy stared for a moment. "Bad fox? What are you-?" She stopped and her eyes went wide. "Oh cheese and crackers. He went after him."

"H-He's in trouble!" The wolf's eyes watered as he recalled the events he had witnessed. "I...I saw him get...I...I saw…"

The rabbit looked up to the elephant. "Francine, we've got a 134! Officer Wilde missing! Call any available units to follow me!"

Francine's eyes went wide. "Y-Yes ma'am!"

"Zer." She placed her hands on the boy's shoulders. "Calm down and explain in the car, okay? I need to hear _everything_."

"O-Okay...I can say everything." He saluted, earning a halfhearted giggle from the rabbit.

"C'mon, let's get in my cruiser."

Zer smiled and nodded, following the rabbit. "Yessir! Err...m-ma'am!"

* * *

Officer Johnson rammed the door with one shoulder, sending it flying off it's hinges. Numerous other officers flooded in around him - Judy at the lead - tranq guns at the ready.

"Be careful," she warned. "This guy's dangerous."

The cops scattered and swarmed the area, shining flashlights around the darkness.

Judy carefully walked down the center, hopping over a few crates in the back into a smaller confined area. She looked around before her eyes were locked on a door, sitting behind two toppled crates. Carefully, she forced the crates aside and placed her hand on the doorknob. Before entering, she readied her gun and pressed an ear against the door. Inside was silence. That still could've meant their culprit was lying in wait. She had to be extra careful.

"Grizzoli!" she shouted over her shoulder. "On my six!"

The bear nodded and fell in behind her, gun pointed at the opening.

With extreme caution, she slowly turned the knob, then pushed the door open. She gasped as she shined her light into the room.

At the end, hanging limply forward by the arms, was Nick. Judy dashed in, the sight of her friend in this miserable condition making her forget about protocol and caution. "Nick!" she shouted, grabbing his head.

"The hell…?" Grizzoli muttered upon seeing him.

Judy's ears dropped at the sight of a wire muzzle around the fox's snout. "Oh gosh." She noticed burn marks around his neck, fur seared off in the area. "Who would do this?" she grimaced.

The fox groaned and blinked a few times.

Nick's vision was horribly blurry. He could barely make out anything past his muzzled snout, seeing a blurry figure looming over him.

He lost it.

"MMMPH!" He shrieked and began bucking madly, startling Judy and sending her to the ground.

"Oof!" She grunted and looked up at her panicking friend. "N-Nick?"

"MPHMPHMMMMPH!" Nick's failure to shriek only resulted in more bucking.

Judy simply stared at her panicking friend, watching him flail about. She was scared of what he was doing, and what he'd do to her in this state. She stood up and kept her eyes locked on Nick's before she grabbed the muzzle and, with great force, yanked it from his face and threw it to the floor.

The fox took a deep breath and yelped in panic, eyes glazed over. "No! No please!" he screamed, thrashing in the ropes. "No!"

Judy grabbed his face and held it towards her own, staring into his fearful eyes. "Nick!" she shouted. "Nick, it's me! Please!"

He slowed until his eyes gained focus, looking over her face. "J...Judy..."

Grizzoli finally managed to untie the fox, sending him falling into a heap in the floor. Judy fell to her knees to catch him.

"Nick, you're okay...you're fine..." she soothed, rubbing his head.

Nick's arm trembled, weakly rising and struggling to stay up, before Nick slowly embraced his friend, tears welling his eyes. One hit the floor, followed by another. They streamed down his cheeks and dripped from his chin. He couldn't stop, simply hugging his friend and sobbing loudly.

Judy tightened her hug slightly. "It's okay, it's okay…"

Nick gasped and cried. "D-Don't let me go...don't leave me..."

"I'm not, Nick, I'm not...let's get you all patched up, okay?" she said softly.

Nick sniffled and managed to regain some composure. He nodded slowly. "...o-okay."

The rabbit slowly stood, helping the fox to his feet and letting him lean on her. The two slowly made it out of the building, the rest of the police crew following. Nick rubbed his eyes, smiling up at the moon. He didn't care about the time of day, he didn't care about his cynical views, he had never been happier in his life to enter the outside world.

He was sat down on the back of an ambulance as nurses poked and prodded and rubbed things on him, Judy never letting go of his hand. Normally he'd hate the attention. Right now he wanted nothing more.

"Wilde."

The fox looked up at the wall of muscle that was Chief Bogo. "Ch-Chief..." he managed to get out weakly.

The buffalo stared for a moment before patting him lightly on the shoulder. "When I tell you to stay home, it's not reverse psychology, you know."

It took Nick a moment to realize the statement was a joke. "Yeah, well...I'm not too smart, it seems."

Bogo simply chuckled. "I'll let this slide _this_ time, so you only have a warning for now."

"Heh, thanks Chief…" Nick muttered.

"Nick, you dumb fox…" Judy smiled. "You know...we do have a witness."

Nick blinked. "A...witness? T-To all of that?!"

Judy nodded and stepped aside, letting Nick lock eyes with the oddball in the crowd of officers.

Zerrith.

The wolf simply smiled and saluted the officer. Nick chuckled and opened his arms. "C'mon in, kid."

Zer blushed and lowered his arm before sprinting over and throwing himself at the fox, hugging him tightly.

"Oof!" Nick wobbled a bit where he stood but gently hugged the wolf back. Then he frowned. "I...I'm glad we have a witness at all but...the fact you had to see all that…"

"...I'll be fine." Zer reassured.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, don't worry." The boy smiled up at him. "It won't get to me."

" _Chief! Chief!_ "

Bogo shot a firm glare at the officer that sprinted from the warehouse. "Grizzoli! What's got you all flustered?"

"W-We...we found a body, chief." The bear panted, slowing to a stop. "Wolfmeyer's body, sir. He's been murdered."

A silence fell over everyone.

Nick glared. "Oh, that bastard...got his comeuppance."

Zer shivered. "He's...he's dead…"

Judy placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Zer...you...you saw him die?"

The boy slowly nodded. "...I-I watched him get torn in two."

Nick's face darkened. "That explains a lot." He looked up to Bogo. "Big bear. Huge. Grizzly."

The chief pursed his lips. "We'll keep an eye out. And as for you, son..." He looked down to Zer, who shrank back a bit. "Good work."

The boy blinked. "Uh, sure."

Bogo turned and bellowed. "Alright everyone! Stop scratching your asses and let's roll out of here!"

Everyone jumped to attention, finishing up their work. Judy patted Nick with a soft smile. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too," he chuckled. "See ya, Carrots."

He sat on the back of the ambulance, watching the cars one by one drive off.

Zer stopped and held something up to him. "Here."

Nick furrowed his brow and looked at it. It was a notebook; Zer's signature notebook.

"I wrote down a lot of stuff in there," he explained. "Like Jason's plans."

Nick looked back up at him and smiled, patting his head. "Thanks bud."

The boy dashed off to ride with Judy. The cruiser sped off into the night.

A nurse informed him it was time to go. Nick examined the book, looking at the first page.

Inside was some sort of activity page, with the words "My Role Model Is:" in cheesy lettering.

Underneath, next to a simple drawing of a red-furred person next to a black-furred one, was written "Officer Nick Wilde."

"Yeah," he smiled. "I'm coming."

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**


End file.
